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ALIC 

AMES 

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JEWEL   WEED 


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Madeline 


JEWEL    WEED 


By 

ALICE  AMES  WINTER 


\  V 

Author  of 


The  Prize  to  the  Hardy 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 
HAKKISON  FISHER 


INDIANAPOLIS 

THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright  1906 
The  Bobbs  Merrill  Company 


October 


•  •    •   ,*  •  J   • 


PRESS  OF 

BRAUNWORTH  &  CO. 

BOOKBINDERS   AND  PRINTERS 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 


TO 

MY  FATHER  AND  MOTHER 

CHARLES  G.  AND  FANNY  B.  AMES 


M3563i 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTEE 

page 

I  A  Light  from  the  Far  East 

1 

II  Mother  and  Son    . 

28 

Ill  An  Occidental  Luminary 

41 

IV  At  Madeline's 

54 

V  Salad  Days 

n 

VI  Jewel  Weed 

99 

VII  Lena's  Progress 

116 

VIII  The  Falls    . 

132 

IX  An  Invitation 

152 

X  Bitter-Sweet 

173 

XI  Politics  and  Play 

194 

XII  An  Engagement      •            . 

210 

XIII  An  Awakening 

222 

XIV  The  Return  op  Ram  Juna 

242 

XV  The  Honeymoon      ♦            ,            . 

269 

XVI  Lena's  Friends       .            •            .            , 

298 

XVII  Grape-Shot 

324 

XVIII  Easter 

344 

XIX  Oriental  Rubies     .            .            .            . 

365 

XX  A  Light  from  the  East  Goes  Out 

391 

XXI  A  Light  in  the  West  Goes  Down 

401 

XXII  Another  Beginning           •           ,           • 

424 

JEWEL   WEED 


JEWEL  WEED 


CHAPTER  I 


A  LIGHT  FBOM  THE  FAR  EAST 


u 


In  the  mists  of  the  infinite,  events  poise  in- 
visible, awaiting  their  opportunity  to  incar- 
nate themselves.  They  fasten,  each  after  his 
kind,  on  these  hnman  lives  of  ours,  as  germs 
find  the  culture  soil  they  love;  so  it  follows 
that  to  the  commonplace  comes  a  life  of  dull 
routine,  foolish  happenings  seek  out  the  senti- 
mentalist, sordid  events  seek  the  sordid  and 
on  the  mystic  dawns  the  mysterious.  Calam- 
ities wait  there,  too,  until  Fate  points  out  a 
weak  spot  in  character  on  which  they  may 
pounce  relentless  with  the  temptation  that 
pierces  it.  As  there  are  certain  things  that 
would  scarcely  dare  to  happen  to  certain  peo- 

1 


2  JEWEL  WEED 

pie,  so  other  greater  events  would  hardly  con- 
descend to  those  whom  they  recognize  as  be- 
ing their  own  inferiors. 

Once  in  a  while,  particularly  when  a  man 
is  yonng  or  beginning  a  new  phase  of  life, 
there  come  times  when  the  things  that  are  to 
be  seem  almost  tangible.  They  press  until 
he  feels  them  crowd,  while  he  waits  with  tense 
expectation  for  them  to  become  visible  to  the 
crudjG  eye  of  outer  experience. 
'  •'  Perhaps  it  was  due  to  a  certain  occultism  in 
tlie- atmosphere  that  Ellery  Norris  felt  this 
pressure  of  the  future  on  the  afternoon  of 
Mr.  Early's  reception  to  Eam  Juna.  Norris 
was  a  new  young  man  in  a  new  young  city, 
and  he  had  come  West  to  live.  However  short 
and  futile  life  may  look  to  the  old,  it  appears 
a  big  and  long  thing  to  twenty-three.  Here 
in  St.Etienne  he  was  to  work  and  work  hard; 
among  these  people,  now  all  strangers,  he  was 
to  find  the  friends  of  his  lifetime ;  here  were 
to  come  all  the  experiences  of  struggle,  fail- 
ure, success,  perhaps  of  love. 

He  turned  and  glanced  with  a  little  sense 
of  relief  at  Eichard  Percival  seated  beside 
him.  Dick  was  the  one  stanch  thing  out  of 
his  past;  Dick  he  had  known  and  loved  at 
college ;  Dick  was  even  now  showing  himself 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST   3 

a  friend;  and  all  these  other  folk  were  but 
the  ghosts  of  things  to  come.  Then  he 
laughed  lightly  at  himself  for  his  own  fan- 
tasy, and  returned  to  the  survey  of  his  sur- 
roundings. 

The  vast  new  hall  in  which  they  sat,  a 
hall  young  in  years  but  old  Gothic  in  pretense, 
might  have  suggested  a  possessor  of  the 
stately  and  knightly  type  rather  than  a  little 
cockatoo  like  Mr.  Early;  but  man  has  this 
advantage  over  the  snail,  that,  whereas,  the 
snail  is  obliged  to  construct  a  home  around 
its  slimy  little  body,  man  may  build  his  habi- 
tation to  match  his  imagination  and  ambition. 
In  the  West,  moreover,  it  is  the  custom  to 
leave  the  low-vaulted  past  and  build  more 
stately  mansions  as  fast  as  the  increasing 
purse  will  permit. 

The  great  room  was  cool,  even  on  a  glowing 
summer  day.  Its  heavy  walls  shut  out  the 
heat  and  its  narrow  windows  gave  but  a 
creeping  light  which  lost  itself  in  the  vaulted 
spaces  above.  It  was  archaic  in  a  modem 
fashion,  too  archaic  to  be  quite  convincing 
when  combined  with  present-day  ornaments 
and  luxuries,  too  splendid  to  belong  to  any 
one  except  Mr.  Early,  and  yet,  withal,  a  satis- 
fying place,  dim  and  fragrant  on  this  July 


4  JEWEL  WEED 

afternoon.  The  pale  summery  gowns  of  the 
women  and  the  sprinkling  of  dark  coats  of  the 
few  men  present  modified  its  gorgeonsness. 

To-day  Mr.  Early  surely  had  reason  to  con- 
gratulate himself  on  his  amplitude  of  space, 
for  if  ever  a  big  background  was  needed,  it 
was  when  the  public  had  come  in  its  hundreds 
to  look  upon  the  huge  Hindu  who  stood  be- 
side the  host,  dwarfing  him  as  well  as  the 
throng  in  front.  Swami  Eam  Juna  over- 
topped them  all  in  inches,  as  in  serenity. 

Mr.  Early,  whose  physique  was  of  the  Na- 
poleonic order,  just  as  much  body  as  was 
necessary  to  incase  a  mighty  soul,  had,  in 
spite  of  his  few  inches,  an  air  of  distinction 
which  demanded  and  received  attention. 
Ram  Juna,  on  the  other  hand,  betrayed  no  ex- 
pectation of  adulation.  Rather  was  he  ut- 
terly oblivious  of  it.  Over  the  heads  of  those 
to  whom  he  had  been  speaking  his  far-seeing 
eyes  gazed  into  that  nothingness  which  is 
popularly  supposed  to  be  full  of  spiritual  sig- 
nificance.    He  was  oblivious  of  the  earth. 

Here,  then,  before  the  group  of  guests,  in 
fine  contrast,  like  a  tropical  bird  caught 
among  thrushes,  stood  this  big  bronze  crea- 
ture, magnificently  gowned  in  a  long  flame- 
colored  garment  touched  upon  its  borders 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST   5 

with  strange  embroideries  and  girdled  about 
its  ample  waist  with  a  wide  sash  of  dull  ori- 
ental red.  The  polished  face  was  set  off  by 
a  turban  of  snowy  white,  in  whose  center 
blazed,  like  a  bloodshot  eye,  a  single  enor- 
mous ruby.  Everything  about  Ram  Juna 
was  superlative — his  size,  his  raiment,  his 
rapt  gaze,  his  doctrine. 

But  after  all,  though  the  Hindu  occupied 
the  position  of  honor  in  the  social  stage,  Nor- 
ris  found  it  hard  to  keep  his  attention  fixed 
on  that  bird  of  paradise,  who,  at  best,  was 
sure  to  be  but  a  temporary  interest  in  these 
western  states  of  America,  where  facts,  not 
theories,  loom  large.  The  new  young  man's 
eyes  wandered  to  the  audience,  made  up  of 
people  like  himself.  The  unknown  catches  us 
for  an  instant,  but  our  own  kind  are  peren- 
nially absorbing.  Since  he  and  Dick  were 
perched  on  a  deep  window-sill,  which  brpught 
them  at  right  angles  to  the  row  of  chairs,  he 
began  to  study  the  faces  on  this  side  and  that. 

A  little  in  front  of  them  a  woman  of  thirty 
or  more,  exquisitely  dressed  in  summer  white, 
pretty  and  complacent,  leaned  back  in  her 
chair.  Happening  to  catch  Percival's  eye  he 
looked  inquiry. 

^^Mrs.  Appleton,"  whispered  that  young 


6  JEWEL  WEED 

man,  and  lifted  his  eyebrows  as  if  to  express 
astonished  admiration,  then  made  a  wry  face. 
Norris  smiled  his  understanding  and  glanced 
back  at  the  self-satisfied  prosperity  beneath 
her  filmy  hat.  Then,  suddenly,  at  the  far  end 
of  the  room,  another  face  caught  him — a  pro- 
file of  a  girl's  head,  outlined  against  a  high 
bench-back,  her  dreamy  eyes  fixed  on  the 
speaker.  It  was  a  cameo-like  face,  not  ani- 
mated, but  delicate  and  finely  lined.  Norris 
knew  her  in  a  flash.  This  was  the  girl  whose 
photograph  had  stood  on  Dick's  mantel  at  col- 
lege and  of  whom  Dick  had  sometimes  spoken 
in  those  rare  intimate  hours  when  he  talked 
of  his  mother  or  of  his  purposes  in  life.  El- 
lery  forgot  the  rest  of  the  room  and  watched 
her  until  a  sudden  forward  lunge  of  Mrs.  Ap- 
pleton's  hat  shut  her  off,  and  brought  him 
back  to  consciousness  of  the  place  and  the 
supposed  interests  of  the  day.  He  turned 
back  with  a  sigh  to  Eam  Juna,  telling  him- 
self with  some  amusement  that  other  minds 
than  his  own  were  wandering  far  afield,  and 
that  the  attitude  of  polite  interest  came  as 
much  from  the  conviction  that  Esoteric  Budd- 
hism was  '*the  thing,"  as  from  any  real  ab- 
sorption. 
Already  the   Hindu  had  been  talking  to 


A  LIGHT  FEOM  THE  FAR  EAST   7 

tliem  for  an  hour.  His  speech  had  that  pre- 
cision and  purity  both  of  word  and  of  enunci- 
ation by  which  a  foreigner,  trained  in  our 
classics,  often  shames  our  slovenly  every-day 
English.  He  spoke,  not  as  one  who  wishes 
to  convert  others  to  his  own  point  of  view, 
but,  rather,  as  though  unconscious  of  their 
presence,  he  poured  out  the  fullness  of  his 
meditations  in  self-communion.  The  up- 
ward-turned eyes  were  half  closed.  Occa- 
sionally there  was  a  flicker  of  the  eyelids  or 
a  touch  of  scorn  when  he  contrasted  the  east- 
ern ideal  of  eternal  repose  with  the  western 
reality  of  endless  struggle.  Then  for  a  mo- 
ment he  seemed  to  realize  the  presence  of  his 
auditors,  ashamed  now  of  their  telephones, 
their  public  schools  and  even  of  their  philan- 
thropies, in  the  face  of  this  supreme  contempt 
for  the  things  that  fade. 

Suddenly  he  opened  wide  his  great  eyes. 

^^And  you,"  he  said,  ^^you,  with  your  guns, 
your  armies  and  your  ignorances,  you  think 
to  rule  us.  Well,  so  be  it !  We  grant  to  you 
dominion  as  a  man  gives  to  a  child  the  sticks 
and  straws  for  which  it  loudly  clamors  in 
its  petty  plays.  But  our  treasures  are  the 
higher  thoughts  which  alone  are  worthy  of 
the  man.     These  we  reserve. '  ^ 


8  JEWEL  WEED 

The  great  oriental  ruby  above  his  forehead 
seemed  to  burn  more  brilliantly  than  ever  as 
if  to  shame  the  frivolous  occidental  jewels 
that  twinkled  before  it. 

^^Yes,"  he  went  on,  'Hhese  gems  we  do  not 
submit  to  force.  They  are  not  to  be  ravished 
by  blood  and  iron.  Yet  even  these,  our  sa- 
cred treasures,  we  gladly  share  with  those 
who,  in  humility  and  in  the  life  of  meditation, 
seek  with  us  the  universal  truths.  And 
truth,  what  is  it?  It  eludes  the  scalpel  of 
reason.  It  is  the  master  and  not  the  servant 
of  logic.  The  only  truths  worthy  to  be  known 
are  those  which  are  to  be  experienced  by  the 
soul  in  her  hours  of  solitude.  Then  does  she 
cease  to  think.  Then  does  she  cease  to  rea- 
son.    Then  does  she  know." 

He  was  dogmatic  and  they  fell  under  his 
sway.  A  hush  deeper  than  silence  lay  upon 
his  audience  as  the  Swami  stood  for  a  mo- 
ment as  though  lost  in  himself.  Eecalling  his 
surroundings  he  spoke  again. 

^^My  friends  in  this  land,  who  are  coming 
to  understand  with  us,  and  we  are  not  numer- 
ous even  in  India — the  land  of  inspiration — 
my  friends,  whom  you  call  by  some  long  name 
which  I  have  forgotton,  ask  me  to  tell  you  a 
little  of  what  we  know  concerning  the  order 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST   9 

of  the  universe.  I  will  unfold.''  As  though 
giving  instruction  in  elementary  arithmetic, 
Swami  Ram  Juna  began  to  sketch  the  adven- 
tures of  the  soul  as  it  flies  from  one  existence 
to  another.  His  words  were  vivid  and  defi- 
nite. 

At  this  point  Dick  PercivaPs  lips  began 
to  move  with  the  cynical  amusement  of  youth. 

*^ Pretty  positive,  isn't  he,  about  the  things 
no  mortal  knows ?' '  he  whispered  to  Norris. 

Softly  spoken  though  the  words  were.  Ram 
Juna  instantly  fixed  his  eyes  upon  the  guilty 
youth.  It  was  a  habit  of  the  Hindu  to  hear 
everything  that  rose  above  the  sound  of  a 
thought. 

^^You  think  I  speak  of  mysteries!"  he  de- 
manded, suddenly  breaking  his  discourse  and 
leaning  like  a  pine  tree  toward  Percival. 
^*You  think  that  in  a  closet  some  one  weaves 
a  fantastic  theory  of  life  and  lives.  But  no! 
What  have  I  told  you?  What  I  speak,  that 
has  my  soul  known,  as  has  many  another  soul. 
I  tell  of  astral  bodies.  I  have  acquaintance 
with  them  as  have  you  with  the  body  of  the 
young  friend  who  sits  beside  you.  I  could 
show  you — even  you,  whose  eyes  are  covered 
with  a  film — I  could  show  you !  But  no !  It 
is  too  petty  to  demonstrate  by  a  show." 


10  JEWEL  WEED 

He  moved  a  step  backward  and  looked  in  a 
half-questioning  way  at  the  silent  group  in 
front. 

^^ Perhaps,"  he  murmured  hesitatingly, 
^*  perhaps  it  is  by  childish  methods  that  one 
must  teach  the  child. ' ' 

He  muttered  a  few  unknown  words  with  his 
eyes  still  fixed  on  guilty  Dick  Percival,  then 
he  turned  to  Mr.  Early. 

'^My  kind  host,"  he  said  with  a  courteous 
gesture,  ^^will  you  permit  that  I  show  to  the 
unbelieving  young  gentleman  an  astral 
body?" 

He  turned  and  strode  away  toward  dim- 
ness dimmer  than  that  of  the  great  hall,  in  the 
direction  of  that  wing  where  rooms  had  been 
assigned  him.  A  little  rustle  of  pleased  an- 
ticipation ran  through  the  petticoats  of  the 
room.  Interest  ceased  to  be  perfunctory  and 
became  genuine.  This  was  more  fun  than 
doctrine,  after  all.  Who  wouldn't  be  grati- 
fied at  the  chance  of  meeting  an  astral  body — 
at  least  in  a  crowd?  Alone,  in  a  dark  room, 
at  midnight,  it  might  prove  less  enjoyable. 

Presently  the  Hindu  returned,  carrying  in 
his  hand  a  strangely  twisted  retort  and  some- 
thing that  looked  like  a  primitive  brazier. 

^^Look,"  he  said,  ^4et  us  take  some  sim- 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST    11 

pie  thing.  I  shall  destroy  the  body  of  flesh 
and  show  you  the  body  of  shadow.  I  see  roses 
in  the  strange  jar  yonder.  You  call  them 
American  beauties  ?  Yes.  Very  well,  I  shall 
show  you  the  ghost  of  an  American  beauty. 
Perhaps  the  unbelieving  young  gentleman  will 
pluck  one  for  me. ' ' 

Dick  rose,  pulled  one  of  the  flowers  from 
among  its  fellows  and  handed  it  across  heads 
to  the  Swami,  who  took  it  gravely. 

^^Even  this  simple  form  of  life,"  he  ex- 
plained, ^^has  its  astral  existence.  With  see- 
ing eyes  it  would  be  visible  to  you  now, 
hidden  inside  the  flesh  of  the  flower.  In  order 
to  make  it  the  plainer,  I  shall  destroy  the 
body  of  the  blossom  and  leave  its  spirit. 
That  spirit  you  shall  see.  Look,  I  lay  this 
beautiful  rose  upon  this  metal  plate  and 
cover  it  that  the  heat  may  be  more  intense. 
I  consume  it  with  the  flame  until  the  fire  de- 
vours its  shape  and  leaves  only  its  ashes.'' 

A  tense  silence  fell  upon  the  waiting  room, 
as  Ram  Juna  thrust  the  covered  rose  into 
the  brazier.  At  last  he  lifted  the  cover  and 
displayed  a  little  gray  shapeless  heap. 

^^The  rose  is  dead,"  he  observed  quietly. 
He  turned  now  toward  the  glass  phial,  in  the 
bottom  of  which  lay  a  few  grains  of  pinkish 


12  JEWEL  WEED 

dust.  Into  this  lie  poured  the  ashes  of  the 
burned  flower.  He  lifted  it  high  in  air  and 
surveyed  it. 

*'The  rose  is  dead,"  he  repeated,  ^^but  un- 
der the  right  conditions  you  shall  see  what  we 
may  call  its  ghost.  See.  A  gentle  warmth. 
I  hold  it  not  too  close  to  the  devouring  flame. 
A  gentle  warmth." 

Those  at  the  back  of  the  room  were  rising 
now  to  peer  over  the  hats  of  the  more  fortu- 
nate in  front,  but  the  hush  remained  un- 
broken. The  dark  eyes  of  the  Hindu  were 
bent  on  the  glass  before  him,  and  a  mystical 
smile  played  about  his  mouth. 

In  the  bottom  of  the  retort,  in  the  bluish 
heapy  began  a  movement,  as  though  some- 
thing alive  were  striving  to  free  itself  from 
bonds  and  rise.  It  heaved  and  struggled  in 
the  dusty  mass,  grew  stronger,  and  instead 
of  a  shapeless  writhing  there  came  an  up- 
shooting  pyramid,  which  gradually  took  upon 
itself  form.  A  ghostly  apparition  of  stem, 
of  leaves,  of  a  dusky  red  rose,  grew  more  and 
more  distinct  until  it  glowed  from  its  prison 
of  glass,  and  Eam  Juna  smiled. 

''The  rose  is  dead!"  he  said  for  the  third 
time. 

A  gasp  of  appreciation  and  awe  passed 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST    13 

through,  the  room.  The  Swami  turned  to 
Dick  Percival. 

'^That  which  I  know,  I  speak,"  he  said  sim- 
ply. 

Then  with  a  sudden  abrupt  movement  he 
shook  the  phial  away  from  the  warmth  and 
held  it  up. 

^^Now  only  the  poor  body  of  ashes  is 
within,"  he  went  on.  ^^The  spirit  is  truly 
fled,  until  it  shall  find  itself  another  incarna- 
tion, and  we  say  that  the  flower  is  for  ever 
dead.  What  then  is  this  death  with  which 
we  play  and  which  plays  with  us?  But  I 
weary  you  with  my  too  long  discourse.  Give 
me  your  pardon.    I  shall  no  more." 

There  rose  the  sound  of  moving  skirts  and 
loosening  tongues.  The  spell  of  oriental 
mysticism  was  broken  and  this  became  but 
one  of  many  entertaining  things  to  be  chat- 
tered about  in  moods  that  varied  from  cre- 
dulity to  amusement.  The  ordinary  reception 
atmosphere  took  possession,  and  the  tinkle  of 
animated  feminine  voices  filled  the  air. 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  throng,  which 
pressed  forward  to  greet  the  host  and  to 
press  the  fingers  of  the  seer,  lingered  the  two 
young  men,  one  of  whom  had  stirred  the  un- 
stirable.    Norris  looked  vaguely  around  as  at 


14  JEWEL  WEED 

unknown  faces,  and  Dick  nodded  in  this  or 
that  direction  in  that  offhand  manner  which 
invites  people  to  keep  their  distance  rather 
than  to  seek  further  intercourse,  but  the 
woman  who  was  handsome  and  thirty  refused 
to  be  held  at  arm 's  length. 

*^  How-do,  Mr.  Percival?  Glad  to  see  you 
back.  You  have  the  genius  of  distinction, 
even  in  small  things.  How  natural  that  the 
Swami  should  single  you  out  for  notice  and 
so  announce  your  home-coming  to  the 
world!'' 

^^Is  this  the  world  r' 

^ '  Our  little  world, ' '  Mrs.  Appleton  laughed ; 
and  as  she  spoke  she  peered  curiously  at 
Norris  with  the  air  of  a  naturalist  who  needs 
as  many  specimens  of  young  men  as  possible 
for  her  collection.  Dick  smiled,  whether  with 
amusement  or  with  cordiality  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  say. 

'^Mrs.  Appleton,  may  I  introduce  Mr.  Nor- 
ris, who  has  come  here  as  a  new  citizen. 
Apart  from  other  considerations,  we  are 
grateful  to  anybody  that  swells  the  census, 
aren't  we?" 

^^So  glad!"  she  murmured.  ^^Mr.  Perci- 
val must  bring  you  to  my  lawn-party  next 
week." 


A  LIGHT  FEOM  THE  FAR  EAST    15 

But  even  while  Norris  expressed  his  thanks, 
Dick's  eyes  wandered,  until,  with  a  cheerful 
start,  he  caught  his  companion's  arm. 

''There  she  is,  EUery,"  he  said.  ''This 
way. ' ' 

Norris  knew  in  his  heart  that  he  was  wait- 
ing for  that  summons,  and  he  turned  and  fol- 
lowed as  Percival  began  a  slow  progress 
through  the  crowd  toward  that  uncompromis- 
ing stiff-lined  bench  of  the  kind  that  Mr. 
Early  affected,  where  sat  the  girl  like  a 
cameo,  beside  a  woman  somewhat  older  than 
herself. 

The  younger  woman  lifted  her  eyes  and 
caught  from  afar  the  greeting  of  the  advanc- 
ing men.  That  there  should  be  no  sudden 
illumination,  no  swift  blush  in  her  nod  of 
recognition,  gave  Dick  a  slight  feeling  of  irri- 
tation. He  had  regarded  a  little  polite  dis- 
play of  delight  as  in  some  way  his  right.  But 
if  she  was  undemonstrative,  she  had  the  vir- 
tues of  her  failing,  for  there  was  a  certain 
serenity  even  in  the  broad  curve  with  which 
her  hair  clung  to  her  temples,  and  in  the 
over-crowded  room  her  smile  was  as  refresh- 
ing as  a  draft  from  a  cool  spring.  Both  of 
these  women  were  marked  by  a  repose  of 
manner  which  distinguished  them  from  the 


16  JEWEL  WEED 

eager  crowd  that  was  pushing  toward  the  lat- 
est new  apostle.  It  was  the  elder  who  put  out 
a  welcoming  hand. 

^'Ah,  Dick,"  she  said,  *'you  are  at  home  at 
last.  How  good  it  is  to  see  you !  When  did 
you  come  ? ' ' 

^^Last  night.  Mother  sent  me  over  here  to- 
day with  the  promise  that  I  should  see  you — 
and  Madeline.'^  His  eyes  traveled  to  the  girl 
beyond.  ^^And  this,  Mrs.  Lenox,  Miss  Elton, 
is  my  good  friend,  Norris.  You  already  know 
that  we  were  lovely  together  in  college,  and 
in  life  we  hope  not  to  be  divided.  You'll  be 
good  to  him,  won't  you?" 

In  Mrs.  Lenox's  greeting  there  was  that 
mixture  of  kindliness  with  shrewd  instant 
analysis  that  becomes  a  habit  with  women  of 
the  world,  and  Norris  stiffened  with  fresh 
realization  that  he  was  raw  and  unaccustomed 
to  her  suave  atmosphere.  He  would  have 
liked  to  be  his  best  self  before  Percival's 
friends,  and  he  felt  like  an  oyster.  Even  the 
gentle  eyes  of  Miss  Elton  seemed  to  measure 
him.  Fortunately  they  thought  chiefly  of 
Dick,  and  when  did  Dick's  facile  tongue  fail 
him? 

' '  Of  course  this  would  be  the  first  spot  on 
which  to  reappear.    No  one  but  Mr.  Early 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST    17 

would  dare  to  give  a  reception  in  July,"  Mrs. 
Lenox  exclaimed. 

**  And  the  absurd  thing,"  Dick  retorted,  ^4s 
that  you  all  come — back  into  town,  leaving 
birds  and  waters — at  Mr.  Early's  bidding." 

^'Yes,  my  respect  for  my  sex  rises  when  I 
see  them  so  eager  to  prostrate  themselves  be- 
fore a  simple  seeker  after  truth  with  a  turban 
and  a  ruby.  A  turban  and  a  ruby  do  so  il- 
luminate the  search  for  truth!" 

^ '  You  are  a  scoffer, ' '  laughed  Dick.  ^  ^  Why 
are  you  here?" 

^*  Foolish  one,  I  came  to  scoff.  I  must  see 
all  there  is  to  be  seen.  If  there  is  an  apple 
to  be  bitten,  I  must  bite.  I  have  floated  in 
with  the  flood  and  out  with  the  ebb  of  almost 
every  fad  from  crystal-gazing  to  bridge.  I 
always  hope  that  one  of  them  is  going  to  be 
worth  while." 

^^But  you  can't  call  the  Swami's  philosophy 
*a  fad',"  objected  Norris. 

^^No,  perhaps  that  wasn't  fair.  Ram  Juna 
is  really  very  celestial  in  a  ponderous  kind 
of  way,  isn't  he?  When  he  talked  the  simple 
old  truths  I  liked  him,  but  not  in  the  esoteric 
explanations  and  profounder  mysteries.  I 
have  chased  Mystery  for  more  years  than  I 
shall  own,  and,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  whenever 


18  JEWEL  WEED 

you  open  the  door  on  her  secret  chamber,  she 
shuts  a  door  on  the  other  side  and  is  gone 
into  a  further  holy  of  holies.  I  Ve  come  to  dis- 
believe in  those  who  tell  me  that  they  have 
caged  her  at  last." 

' '  That 's  what  I  say, ' '  exclaimed  Dick.  ' '  A 
man  knows  too  much  when  he  tells  you  that 
Mystery  is  five  feet  three,  weighs  a  hundred 
and  twenty-six  pounds  and  eats  no  meat." 

^^It's  too  much  like  a  mixture  of  legerde- 
main and  theology." 

^'I  always  liked  juggling!"  exclaimed  Miss 
Elton.  ^^And  I  like  the  ruby.  See  it  now, 
gleaming  over  the  ranks  of  war-paint  and 
hats." 

'^I  believe  the  ruby  interests  you  both  more 
than  the  search  for  truth,"  Dick  laughed. 

*'And  well  it  may!"  Mrs.  Lenox  flashed 
back.  ^^Once  it  belonged  to  a.  magnificent 
rajah  ancestor,  who  hugged  it  to  his  soul,  and 
held  it  too  precious  to  be  worn  by  his  favorite 
wife.  But  now  Swami  Eam  Juna  has  re- 
nounced the  pomps  and  indulgences  of  courts 
and  become,  as  I  said,  an  humble  seeker.  He, 
too,  loves  the  ruby — ^not  from  any  vulgar 
love  of  display — ^but  because  to  his  soul  it  is 
a  mystic  symbol  of  Adhidaiva — the  life-giv- 
ing energy,  refulgent  as  the  sun  behind  dark 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST    19 

clouds.  Isn't  that  a  pointer  for  those  of  us 
who  want  diamonds  and  things?  I  believe 
I'll  ask  Mr.  Lenox  for  a  symbol  or  two  this 
very  evening. ' ' 

^'You  seem  well-informed." 

'*0h,  Mr.  Early  posted  me.  It's  humiliat- 
ing to  think  that  perhaps  he  designed  that  as 
an  easy  way  of  getting  the  facts  spread 
abroad  and  so  preparing  a  way  for  the  truth- 
seeker.  And  he  also  told  me  that  they  have 
very  good  copies  of  the  Bagavad  Gita  at  Mc- 
Clelland's  for  a  quarter,  so  you  may  keep  up 
with  the  advance  guard  at  small  expense.  I 
have  to  know  things  in  order  to  keep  my  hus- 
band posted  with  entertaining  gossip.  Men 
always  want  to  know  every  little  thing  and 
then  lay  the  blame  of  gossip  at  the  door  of 
women. ' ' 

^^I  doubt  if  it  is  a  difficult  task  for  you  to 
keep  Mr.  Lenox  amused,"  said  Norris,  smil- 
ing at  her. 

''Moreover,"  added  Percival,  ''I  under- 
stand that  when  your  frivolities  cease  to 
amuse,  Mr.  Lenox  can  divert  himself  by  help- 
ing your  father  in  the  building  of  a  new  little 
railroad  or  something  of  that  kind." 

''True,  but  building  new  railroads,  beguil- 
ing though  it  be,  proves  more  wearing  to 


20  JEWEL  WEED 

the  nerves  tlian  does  my  conversation,  so  I 
must  still  practise  the  art  of  rattling.  But 
I  needn't  practise  it  on  you,"  she  went  on, 
glancing  at  Miss  Elton  under  her  eyelids. 
*  *  Now,  Dick,  I  am  going  to  give  you  my  very 
uncomfortable  seat  on  this  bench  and  let  you 
and  Madeline  talk  over  old  times,  and  new 
times  which  are  to  be  still  better.  Perhaps 
Mr.  Norris  will  go  about  with  me  and  meet 
some  of  the  people — beard  the  western  prai- 
rie-dog in  his  den,  so  to  speak. ' ' 

*^Now  that  is  really  good  of  you,  Mrs. 
Lenox.  You  know  this  is  the  first  time  Made- 
line and  I  have  come  together  since  we  got 
through  college  and  have  been  recognized  as 
grown  up.  In  fact,  I'm  not  used  to  her  in 
long  dresses  yet.'* 

He  glanced  at  the  smiling  girl  as  Mrs. 
Lenox  nodded  and  turned. 

^^How  lovely  Miss  Elton  is!"  exclaimed 
Norris  as  they  moved  away  together.  ^^Of 
course  I've  seen  her  picture  in  Dick's  room, 
but  it  did  not  do  her  justice." 

^^ Lovely,  indeed!"  Mrs.  Lenox  answered 
heartily.  *^You  have  chosen  the  one  word  to 
be  applied  to  Madeline  Elton,  both  to  her 
spirit  and  to  her  face — not  thrilling,  perhaps, 
but  satisfying,  which  is  better.    She  and  Dick 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST    21 

were  inseparables  through  their  childhood. 
It  is  rather  a  taken-for-granted  affair,  you 
know.'^ 

^^I  guessed  as  much,  though  Dick  never 
said  anything." 

There  was  something  so  confidential  and 
kindly  in  her  manner  that  Norris  forgot  his 
awkwardness  and  felt  moved  to  confidence  in 
return. 

^^Dick  was  born  to  all  good  things,"  he 
went  on.  ^'I  sometimes  wonder  how  that 
feels."  Then,  seeing  that  she  glanced  at  him 
inquiringly:  ^^Dick  always  seems  to  me  one 
who  needs  only  to  stand  still,  and  Fortuna 
takes  pains  to  hunt  him  up  and  offer  him  her 
choicest  wares.  Life  looks  to  him  more  like 
a  birthday  party  than  like  a  battle-field.  I 
say  it  not  in  envy,  but  with  the  awe  of  one 
who  has  had  to  scrabble  and  who  sees  endless 
scrabbling  ahead.  But  I  believe  part  of  the 
charm  that  I  feel  about  Dick  is  his  manifest 
predestination  to  good  luck." 

^^One  piece  of  his  luck,  if  I  am  not  mis- 
taken, is  in  your  coming  here.  There  is  no 
friend  like  a  college  friend  for  every-day 
wear, ' '  she  answered  kindly. 

**Well,  I  owe  my  position  here  to  him," 
Norris  went  on.     *^When  he  found  that  I  had 


22  JEWEL  WEED 

* 

an  uncle  back  in  Connecticut  who  owned  a 
share  in  the  St.  Etienne  Star,  he  began  to  pull 
wires  both  at  that  end  and  this  to  get  me  a 
place  on  the  editorial  staff.  I'm  afraid  that 
nothing  but  wires  would  have  got  it  for  me. 
So  here  I  am  making  my  first  bow  to  society 
under  the  shadow  of  his  cloak." 

^ '  Of  course  you  came  here. ' ' 

' '  What,  really,  is  Mr.  Early  T ' 

^^  Apostle,  expounder  of  the  universe,  busi- 
ness man,  prophet." 

Norris  laughed. 

'^He's  our  display  window.  The  way  in 
which  he  manages  to  keep  a  little  lion  always 
roaring  on  the  bargain-table  astonishes  us 
all  every  day.  And  when  he  runs  short  of 
foreign  lions  he  roars  a  bit  himself.  Pri- 
vately, I  think  he's  more  entertaining  than 
the  imported  article.  St.  Etienne  would  be 
merely  a  western  city  without  him. 

*^Now,"  she  went  o;n,  ^^I'm  going  to  intro- 
duce you  to  some  other  girls.  To  me,  as  to 
Dick,  Miss  Elton  may  be  the  bright  particu- 
lar star,  but  she  is  not  the  only  light." 

So  Miss  Elton  and  Percival  were  left  alone 
in  the  crowd. 

*^ Madeline,"  said  the  young  man,  ^^does 
this  getting  through  college  make  you  feel  as 


.  .•••.^. 


Miss  Elton  and  Percival  were  left  alone  in  the  crowd 

Page  22 


A  LIGHT  FEOM  THE  FAR  EAST    23 

though  you  had  suddenly  had  your  cellars 
taken  away  and  your  attics  left  foundation- 
less  in  space?  The  question  is  ^what  next?' 
That's  what  I  used  to  ask  you  in  the  good  old 
days  when  we  played  mumbly-peg  together. 
What  shall  we  play  now?" 

^'I  know  what  I  shall  play.  There  is  home, 
with  mother  enraptured  to  have  me  at  her 
beck  and  call  again ;  and,  of  course,  there  are 
musical  and  social  ^ does'.  They  are  going  to 
be  such  fun  that  I  do  not  know  if  I  shall  have 
room  to  tuck  in  a  little  study.  But  I  suppose 
you  must  have  a  harder  game.  Yes,  you 
must." 

^^And  are  you  so  contented  with  the  dead 
level?  I  fancied  you  were  going  to  be  am- 
bitious." 

She  turned  her  head  and  looked  out  through 
the  narrow  mullioned  window  beside  her  as 
though  to  avoid  his  eyes,  but  she  answered 
^  quietly : 

^^If  I  have  any  ambitions,  they  are  not  very 
imposing.  Let's  talk  about  yours;  or  rather 
let's  not  talk  about  yours  here.  There  are 
too  many  people  and  too  much  Swami.  We 
are  out  at  the  lake,  at  the  old  summer  home. 
Eun  out  and  dine  with  us  to-morrow.  Father 
is  almost  as  anxious  to  see  you  as  I  am.    You 


24  JEWEL  WEED 

know  you  are  his  chief  consolation  for  the 
fact  that  I  am  not  a  boy. ' ' 

^^  Thanks.  May  I  bring  Norris?  Not  that 
I'm  afraid  of  the  dark  by  myself,  but  that 
I  really  want  you  to  know  him." 

^  *  Bring  him  of  course,  Dick, ' '  she  said  with- 
out enthusiasm. 

^^And  now  do  you  suppose  I  can  get  you 
a  cup  of  coffee  or  a  sherbet  ? ' ' 

'^Hush,  I  don't  know  whether  anything  so 
vivid  is  possible.  I  believe,  out  of  deference 
to  Eam  Juna,  the  refreshments  are  light  al- 
most to  Nirvana.  You  can't  insult  a  man 
who  lives  on  a  few  grains  of  rice  by  making 
him  watch  the  herd  gorge  on  salads  and  ices, 
can  you?" 

^^And  do  you  really  believe  that  great 
mountain  of  flesh  was  built  out  of  little  grains 
of  rice?" 

^^Mrs.  Appleton — ^you  remember  her?" 

^  *  She  has  pounced  on  me  already.  She  re- 
members that  I  waltz  like  a  dream. ' ' 

''Dick,"  said  Miss  Elton  scornfully,  ''don't 
make  the  mistake  of  considering  yourself  a 
plum.  Mrs.  Appleton  told  me  that  the  Swami 
feeds  on  dew  and  flaming  nebulae. ' ' 

*' Humph!"  said  Dick,  "I  think  he's  a  big 
bronze  fraud." 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST    25 

^'Oh,  come,  men  may  be  great  without  play- 
ing foot-ball, ' '  she  laughed. 

^^Well,  he's  not  for  me.  I  can  believe  in 
almost  any  kind  of  a  prophet  except  one  that 
works  miracles." 

^^Who  knows?  The  Swami  may  be  the 
molder  of  your  destiny,"  said  Madeline  gaily, 
with  youth's  lightness  in  referring  to  the 
vague  future. 

^^He  may;  but  I'd  lay  long  odds  against 
it." 

^^I  must  be  going."  Miss  Elton  rose. 
^^The  crowd  is  thinning,  and  Mrs.  Lenox  looks 
impressively  in  my  direction.  We  are  going 
out  together  on  the  train.  Their  new  coun- 
try place  is  near  us,  you  know.  And  you,  un- 
grateful one,  I  suspect,  have  not  even  spoken 
to  Mr.  Early  yet.  Go  and  ^make  your  man- 
ners,' like  a  good  boy.  I'll  expect  you  to- 
morrow afternoon.  Mr.  Norris,  Dick  has 
promised  to  bring  you  with  him  to  dinner  to- 
morrow.   Till  then,  good-by." 

'^Come,  EUery,  we'll  face  the  music,  now 
that  the  real  attractions  are  gone,"  said  Dick. 

Mr.  Early  extended  two  hands,  ponderous 
in  proportion  to  the  rest  of  his  body,  in 
fatherly  greeting. 

''Ah,  Percival,  my  dear  fellow,  so  you  are 


26  JEWEL  WEED 

done  with  Yale  and  back  again  in  St.  Etienne? 
I  welcome  you  out  of  the  fetters  of  mere  book- 
ishness  into  the  freedom  of  real  life,  where  it 
is  man's  business  to  serve,  and  not  to  ab- 
sorb/' 

Dick  blushed  guiltily  as  several  surround- 
ing ladies  turned  their  lorgnettes  on  him,  but 
Mr.  Early  went  on,  undisturbed  and  very 
audible  : 

^^I  do  not  introduce  you  to  Swami  Earn 
Juna,  because  introductions  belong  to  the 
world  of  conventionalities,  and  he  lives  in 
that  world  where  real  human  relations  are 
the  only  things  that  count;  but  I  put  your 
hand  in  his,  in  token  of  the  contact  in  which 
your  spirit  may  meet  his  great  soul. ' ' 

<<yery  good  of  you,  I'm  sure,"  murmured 
Dick,  as  the  Swami  bent  his  head  and  gave 
him  a  penetrating  look. 

^^You,  too,  then,  are  a  seeker?"  Eam  Juna 
inquired  in  a  low  tone,  but  with  his  delicate 
and  distinct  enunciation. 

^'Ah — ^I  hope  so,"  Dick  answered  hastily, 
and  with  an  evident  desire  to  push  the  topic 
no  further.  ^^  And  this,  Mr.  Early,  is  my  old 
chum,  Norris,  who  has  come  West  to  be  on  the 
editorial  staff  of  the  Star/^ 

^'The  Star^l    It  is  the  symbol  of  illumina- 


A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  FAR  EAST    27 

tion.  Is  then  your  Star  devoted  to  the  en- 
lightenment of  mankind?"  asked  Ram  Juna, 
transferring  his  fixed  gaze. 

^^In  a  sense — ^yes,"  Norris  faltered  with  a 
swift  guilty  recollection  of  certain  head-lines 
in  last  night's  edition. 

*^He  who  writes  must  think.  He  who 
thinks  goes  below  the  surface.  He  who  goes 
below  the  surface  is  moving  toward  the  cen- 
ter," said  the  Swami  oracularly. 

Mr.  Early's  broad  face  expanded  into  a 
benevolent  smile,  and  an  oncoming  instal- 
ment swept  the  young  men  away. 

^^Does  Mr.  Early  learn  his  remarks  by 
heart?"  asked  Norris. 

'  ^  I  don 't  know.  But  let  us  be  seekers.  Let 
us  seek  dinner,  and  fresh  air.  Give  me  fresh 
air — anything  but  Nirvana ! " 


CHAPTER  II 

MOTHER   AND   SON" 

To  have  been  captain  of  the  foot-ball  team, 
which  some  student  of  sociology  has  called  the 
highest  office  in  the  free  gift  of  the  American 
people,  might  seem  glory  enough  for  one  life ; 
but  Richard  Percival  was  of  such  stuff  that 
all  past  triumphs  became  dust  and  ashes. 
He  was  greedy  of  the  future.  Now  that  the 
doors  of  college  were  fairly  closed,  that  ca- 
reer became  to  him  but  as  a  half-dreaming 
condition,  before  one  wakes. 

On  this  summer  evening,  however,  it  was 
easy  to  prolong  the  dream,  since  the  hour  was 
one  for  quiet  of  body  and  for  wandering  vi- 
sions. The  room  was  large  and  suffused  with 
that  restfulness  which  comes  to  homes  where 
serene  and  thoughtful  lives  have  been  lived. 
There  were  long  straight  lines ;  there  was  a 
scarcity  of  knickknacks ;  there  were  pictures 
gathered  because  they  were  loved  and  not 
to  fill  a  bare  space  on  the  wall;  there  were 

28 


MOTHEE  AND  SON  29 

books  and  books  and  books,  many  of  them 
with  the  worn  covers  of  old  friends.  Here, 
clasped  in  the  arms  of  another  old  friend  of 
a  chair,  half-sat,  half-lay  his  mother,  and 
near  her  lounged  EUery  Norris,  the  friend 
whose  delicate  mingling  of  love  and  admira- 
tion was  as  fragrant  wine  to  Dick,  who  be- 
lieved in  himself  because  others  had  always 
believed  in  him.  The  dying  twilight,  laden 
with  rose-spiciness  and  with  the  first  shrill 
notes  of  the  warm  night,  came  in  through 
high  narrow  windows.  Everywhere  was  the 
sweet  repose  that  comes  after  sweet  activity, 
and  the  center  of  it  was  the  fragile  woman 
who  lay  back  in  her  chair,  caressing  with 
light  hand  the  head  of  the  young  man  who 
sat  upon  the  rug  and  leaned  against  her  knee. 

Norris  was  looking  at  Mrs.  Percival  with  a 
kind  of  wondering  admiration  which  the  son 
saw  with  a  touch  of  pity.  Poor  old  Norris ! 
It  must  have  been  tough  to  grow  up  without 
a  home.  As  for  this  fragrant  type  of  fem- 
ininity, young  Percival  took  it  for  granted — 
at  least  in  the  women  that  belong  to  a  man; 
and  the  other  women  hardly  count. 

Everything  made  Dick  feel  very  tender  to- 
ward his  past,  very  well  satisfied  with  his 
present,  very  secure  about  his  future.    AU 


30  JEWEL  WEED 

would  be  good.  That  was  the  natural  order 
of  the  universe.  He  had  always  found  it  easy 
to  do  things  and  to  be  a  good  deal  of  a  per- 
sonage. 

He  stared  up  silently  at  the  space  above  the 
mantel  where  hung  a  portrait  that  gazed 
back  at  him,  with  features  pale  in  the  fading 
light.  Singularly  alike  were  the  boyish  face 
that  looked  up  and  the  boyish  face  that  looked 
down,  though  the  painted  Percival,  a  little 
idealistic  about  the  eyes,  wholly  firm  about 
the  mouth,  appeared  the  more  determined  of 
the  two.  Perhaps  this  came  from  the  shoul- 
der-straps, the  blue  uniform,  and  the  military 
squareness  of  the  shoulders. 

^^Yes,  you  are  like  him,  Dick."  Mrs.  Per- 
cival spoke  to  his  thoughts.  The  boy  looked 
up  startled. 

^^Am  I?"  he  asked.  ^^I  wish  I  might  be. 
I  wish  I  might  be  half  so  much  of  a  man. ' ' 

^^And  I  hope  you  will  be  more — no,  not 
that.  He  was  my  all.  I  can  hardly  wish  you 
to  be  more,  but  I  hope  you  will  do  more.  At 
least  you  don't  have  a  drag  on  you  from  the 
beginning,  as  he  had.  Has  Dick  told  you  the 
story,  EUery?"  She  turned  with  a  gentle 
smile  toward  the  other  man.  ^^You  see  I 
can't  help  calling  you  EUery.    Dick's  letters 


MOTHER  AND  SON  31 

have  made  you  partly  mine  already.  We  are 
not  strangers  at  all. ' ' 

Norris  flushed  and  impulsively  laid  his  firm 
square  hand  over  the  slender  one  that  was 
stretched  upon  the  chair  arm  nearest  him. 

^^You  don't  know  how  glad  I  am  to  be 
yours,  and  to  have  you  for  mine,"  he  said. 
' '  I  never  knew  my  mother. ' ' 

*^You  know  then  how  Minnesota  was  a  pi- 
oneer state,  and  how  she  sent  a  fifth  of  her 
population  to  the  war,  and  Dad  among  the 
first?  You  know  how  the  First  Minnesota 
held  the  hill  and  turned  the  day  at  Gettys- 
burg, though  few  of  them  lived  to  tell  of  their 
own  bravery?  It  makes  the  lump  come  up 
in  my  throat  even  to  remember  it,  just  as 
it  did  when  I  first  heard  the  news  and  knew 
that  my  boy-lover  was  there. ' ' 

There  was  silence  a  moment. 

'^  Ah,  Dick,  you  have  a  young  body  to  match 
your  heart,"  Mrs.  Percival  went  on,  ^^but 
Dad,  before  he  was  twenty,  carried  a  bullet  in 
his  side.  He  had  to  conquer  pain  before  he 
could  spend  strength  on  other  things." 

Dick  rubbed  his  cheek  with  the  mother's 
trembling  hand. 

''Yes,"  he  said  soberly,  '4t  must  have  been 
harder  to  endure  the  sufferings  that  clung  to 


32  JEWEL  WEED 

him  and  killed  him  at  last  than  it  would  have 
been  to  give  everything  in  one  swift  sacrifice. 
Endurance, — that's  a  word  I  don't  know,  do 
I,  mother?" 

'^No,  dear,  that's  the  word  you  know  least; 
but  you'll  have  to  learn  it." 

^^EUery,  I  guess  that's  where  you  have  the 
advantage  of  me."  Dick  looked  up  with  a 
smile. 

^^If  I  have,  it's  been  a  dour  lesson,"  Norris 
answered  with  a  wry  face. 

'^Well,  if  Dad  gave  his  life  to  his  country 
by  dying,  I  mean  to  give  mine  by  living," 
Dick  went  on.  '^  There  must  be  things  that 
need  doing. ' ' 

*'More  than  there  are  men  to  do  them," 
said  his  mother  softly.  ^^  You  have  his  spirit 
and  his  genius.  You  have  health,  too. 
Don't  put  a  bullet  in  your  young  manhood." 

^^What  do  you  mean,  mother?" 

^^  There  are  a  thousand  wounds  besides 
those  from  a  gun.  I'm  counting  on  you  to 
live  his  life  as  he  would  have  liked  to  live  it — 
to  be  his  son,  Dick." 

^^You  mustn't  expect  the  sun  and  the  moon 
to  stand  still  before  me." 

*^0h,  well,  I  dare  say  I'm  as  foolish  as 
other  mothers."    Mrs.  Percival  laughed  as 


MOTHER  AND  SON  33 

though  she  must  do  that  or  cry.  ^'But  you 
were  certainly  born  to  something,  Dick. 
YouVe  shown  it  ever  since  you  organized 
your  first  militia  company  and  whipped  the 
five-year-olds  in  the  next  street." 

^'And  he's  kept  right  on  bossing  his  par- 
ticular gang  ever  since.  Richard  Dux," 
smiled  Ellery. 

The  boy  grinned  up  at  them,  and  his  mind 
traveled  to  those  later  days  when  that  leader- 
ship of  his  was  so  easily  acknowledged  as  to 
be  axiomatic.  He  saw  in  panorama  the 
stormy  joys  of  college  life  with  the  victories 
of  the  field.  He  beheld  again  the  quieter 
hours  when  the  young  men  saw  visions  to- 
gether and  felt  themselves  called  to  put  shoul- 
der to  the  car  of  righteousness,  while  they 
discussed  with  the  sublime  self-sufficiency  of 
inexperience  the  politics  and  sociology  of  the 
world.  The  fellows  all  believed  in  him  as  one 
of  those  who  are  destined  to  be  prime  push- 
ers at  the  wheel.  Perhaps  he  would  be  among 
those  conquerors  who  climb  aboard  and  ride, 
forgetful  of  the  plodding  crowd  which  toils  at 
the  drudgery  of  progress  but  does  not  taste 
its  glory.  So  many  oblivions  go  to  make  one 
reputation. 

Dick  knew  that  power  was  in  him.    To 


34  JEWEL  WEED 

others  it  showed  in  his  unconscious  self-confi- 
dence of  carriage,  in  his  eyes  that  glowed,  in 
the  electric  something  that  compelled  attrac- 
tion. 

But  now  college  visions  were  fading  into 
^^the  light  of  common  day".  The  boys  had 
gone  home  to  be  men.  Success  began  to  look 
not  like  an  aurora,  but  like  a  solid  structure 
built  of  bricks  that  must  be  carried  in  hods. 
Hods  are  uninspiring  objects. 

Dick  stared  at  the  pile  of  unlit  logs  in  the 
fireplace  and  felt  the  rhythmic  strokes  of  his 
mother's  hand  upon  his  well-thatched  head  as 
she  watched  him  in  sympathetic  silence ;  but 
he  saw  the  eyes  of  his  fellow  classmen  and 
felt  their  good-by  hand-clasps.  Again  the 
train  thumped  with  monotonous  rolling  as  it 
brought  him  ever  westward  and  homeward. 
Farm  after  farm,  village  and  town,  city  upon 
city,  long  level  prairies  that  cried  out  of  fer- 
tility, the  rush  and  roar  and  chaos  of  Chicago, 
and  then  more  cities  and  rivers  and  hills  and 
lakes,  and  now  the  blessed  restfulness  of  home 
and  twilight.  He  had  seen  it  all  many  times 
before^ — two  thousand  miles  of  space  to  be 
covered  between  New  Haven  and  St.  Etienne. 
On  this  last  journey  it  had  taken  on  a  new 
significance  to  his  eyes, — a  significance  which 


MOTHEE  AND  SON  35 

matched  his  dreams.    It  was  instinct  with 
meaning  of  which  he  was  a  part. 

This  was  his  country,  huge,  half-formed, 
needing  men.  Its  bigness  was  not  an  acci- 
dent of  geography,  but  a  pregnant  fact  in  the 
consciousness  of  a  people  as  wide  as  itself. 
Thousands  of  redmen  once  covered  it,  and  it 
was  then  only  a  big  place,  not  a  great  coun- 
try. It  must  be  a  mighty  race  who  would 
master  those  miles  of  inert  earth. 

God  breathed  His  spirit  into  the  earth  and 
it  became  a  living  man.  Man — His  image — 
must  breathe  the  spirit  into  the  earth  and 
make  it  a  living  civilization. 

His  father,  with  a  Gettysburg  bullet  bruis- 
ing his  life,  had  nevertheless  played  the  part, 
and  done  his  share  toward  turning  a  frontier 
village  into  a  noble  city.  With  a  thrill  Dick 
saw  himself  building  the  structure  higher  on 
its  firm  foundations,  making  it  great  enough 
to  match  the  wide  fertile  acres  that  lay  about 
it,  and  the  dazzling  Minnesota  sky  that  hung 
above.  So.  he  built  his  castle  of  achievement 
in  the  air,  where  his  own  glory  lay  mistily  be- 
hind his  service  to  his  fellow  men.  Already 
the  thing  seemed  done — ^vague  and  yet,  some- 
how, concrete. 

Pooh,  what  is  time?    A  mere  figment  of 


a 


86  JEWEL  WEED 

the  imagination!"  exclaimed  Dick  suddenly. 
''Was  it  day  before  yesterday  that  I  came 
home  ?  Forty-eight  hours  have  put  a  gulf  be- 
tween the  old  and  the  new  me.  Condensed 
time, — ^just  add  hot  water  and  it  swells  to  six 
times  its  original  bulk." 

His  mother  smiled  indulgently  at  her  son's 
vagaries  of  speech,  and  he  went  on: 

''Moreover,  I've  been  away  four  years, — 
years  of  vast  importance,  it  seems  to  me.  I 
come  back  and  everything  is  going  on  in  the 
same  old  way.  Every  one  is  interested  in 
the  same  old  things.  They  don't  seem  to 
think  anything  exciting  has  happened,  except 
that  the  city  has  doubled  in  size  and  there 
has  been  another  presidential  election.  They 
aren't  a  bit  stirred  up  over  me.  They  aren't 
even  deeply  moved  because  Ellery  over  there 
is  wielding  an  inexperienced  editorial  pen. 
Everything  is  familiar,  but  I've  forgotten  it 
all.    It's  hard  to  pick  up  the  threads." 

"More  than  that,  boys.  The  threads  are 
not  all  done  up  in  a  neat  bunch  and  handed 
to  you  as  they  are  in  New  Haven.  St. 
Etienne's  point  of  view  is  not  always  that  of 
the  gentleman  and  the  scholar.  Its  great 
men  are  not  of  the  campus,  but  those  who  con- 
trol the  destinies  of  others,  sometimes  by 


MOTHEE  AND  SON  37 

wealth,  oftener  by  the  genius  of  power.  But, 
after  all,  this  is  the  real  world." 

Dick  laughed  again. 

^'And  a  world  after  my  own  heart, 
mother." 

'*  Yes,  I  think  you  will  fit  in,"  she  said  with 
maternal  complacency.  ^^Both  of  you,"  she 
added  with  sudden  remembrance. 

^^The  fitting-in  on  my  part  will  have  to  be 
a  process  of  swelling,  I  guess,"  Norris  said 
whimsically.  *^  Small  and  narrow  as  is  the 
berth  I  have  at  the  Star  office,  I  shall  have 
to  be  bigger  than  I  am  before  I  fill  it. ' ' 

^'Oh,  you're  all  right.  You're  fundamen- 
tally all  right,  and  that  means  you'll  rise  to 
every  opportunity  you  get."  Dick's  voice 
took  on  some  of  the  patronage  of  a  leader  for 
his  follower.  ^'I'd  bank  on  EUery  Norris  if 
the  rest  of  the  world  turned  sour." 

^'Thanks,"  said  EUery  briefly,  and  their 
eyes  met  in  that  interchange  of  assurance 
which  is  the  masculine  American  equivalent 
for  embrace  and  eternal  protestation.  Mrs. 
Percival  smiled  to  herself,  amused  yet 
pleased  by  the  frank  boyish  affection. 

^^What  kind  of  a  time  did  you  have  at  Mr. 
Early's  reception?"  she  asked  abruptly. 

^^Oh,  it  was  a  circus  with  three  rings.    lu 


38  JEWEL  WEED 

the  middle  ring  there  was  a  performing  hip- 
popotamus of  a  Hindu.  He  was  really  a  sun- 
burst. Then  in  the  farthest  ring  there  were 
a  thousand  women  with  big  hats,  all  talking 
at  once.  But  in  the  nearest  there  were  just 
Madeline  and  Mrs.  Lenox,  and  that  was  a 
good  show.  By  Jove!  Madeline  is  prettier 
than  ever,  and  hasn't  found  it  out  yet. 
That's  the  advantage  of  sending  a  girl  off 
to  a  women's  college  where  there  is  no  man 
to  enlighten  her." 

^ ^Pretty!  That's  not  the  word  to  describe 
Miss  Elton.  She's  too  simple  and  dignified," 
remonstrated  Norris. 

'^Bowled  over  already,  are  you?'^  Dick 
jeered. 

^'EUery  is  quite  right,"  Mrs.  Percival  in- 
terrupted. ^ '  Madeline  has  something  Easter- 
lily-like  about  her. ' ' 

^'You  grow  enthusiastic,  mother." 

^'I  love  her  very  dearly,  Dick." 

*^  Norris  and  I  are  going  out  to  see  her  to- 
morrow.   We'll  take  the  motor,  I  guess." 

Mrs.  Percival  beamed  down  at  him  and 
gave  his  head  an  affectionate  pat,  and  the  son 
glanced  up  with  a  blandness  that  might  easily 
have  become  a  smirk.  Yet  his  mother's  com- 
placent satisfaction  with  the  inevitable  irri- 


MOTHER  AND  SON  39 

tated  him.  Madeline  Elton  might  be  the  most 
admirable  combination  of  the  virtues  and  the 
graces,  but  he  wanted  to  find  it  out  for  him- 
self. 

Mrs.  Percival  rose  with  the  air  of  one  who 
has  heard  and  said  what  she  desired. 

^^Good  night,  dear  boy,"  she  purred  as 
Dick  struggled  to  his  long  legs.  **How  good 
it  is  to  have  you  to  lean  on  and  trust !  These 
have  been  lonely  years  while  you  were  away. 
Now  I  shall  leave  you  two  to  your  quiet 
smoke. ' ' 

Dick  kissed  her  hand  and  then  her  lips,  as 
though  to  show  both  reverence  and  love. 
Norris,  too,  stooped  and  kissed  her  hand,  and 
the  two  watched  her  as  she  moved  in  her 
slow  way  up  the  stairs.  As  she  disappeared, 
Norris  turned  and  laid  an  arm  over  Dick's 
shoulder. 

^^ That's  the  kind  of  thing,  Percival,  that 
you  do  not  wholly  appreciate  unless  youVe 
gone  without  it.  I  grew  up  without  any  at- 
mosphere to  speak  of,  and  I've  been  gasping 
for  breath  all  my  life.  I  wonder  if  I  shall 
ever  get  a  full  allowance  of  air  to  live  in. ' ' 

As  they  looked,  friendly  eye  into  friendly 
eye,  Ellery  seemed  to  review  his  own  life  in 
contrast  with  Dick's.    Dick  had  background; 


40  JEWEL  WEED 

he  had  to  begin  everything  for  himself.  He 
had  earned  most  of  his  way  through  college ; 
he  had  earned  his  standing  among  the  men  as 
he  had  earned  his  standing  in  scholarship,  by 
dogged  persistence  instead  of  by  the  right  of 
eminent  domain  to  which  Dick  was  born.  He 
had  never  envied  Percival's  readier  brain, 
wider  popnlarity,  more  profuse  fortune;  but 
something  close  to  envy  crept  upon  him  now 
for  this  refinement  of  home,  this  delicate 
mother-love.  This  was  a  loss  not  to  be  made 
good  by  pluck  or  perseverance.  Love  was  the 
gift  of  the  gods. 


CHAPTER  III 

AN  OCCIDENTAL  LUMINARY 

Over  next  door,  beyond  the  thick  laurel 
hedge,  on  this  same  evening,  Mr.  Sebastian 
Early,  now  that  the  last  of  his  guests  had 
withdrawn  the  silken  wonder  of  her  reception 
skirts,  was  settling  down  to  a  quiet  evening 
with  his  turbaned  guest. 

Now  Mr.  Sebastian  Early  is  far  too  intri- 
cate a  person  to  be  dismissed,  as  Mrs.  Lenox 
disposed  of  him,  with  a  phrase  and  a  laugh. 
In  early  life,  it  is  true,  he  had  seemed  a  com- 
monplace and  insignificant  young  man.  His 
first  appearance  before  the  public  was  as  the 
inventor  of  a  hook-and-eye,  but  his  hook-and 
eye  had  such  unusual  merits  that  it  seemed, 
according  to  the  engaging  pictures  and  verses 
in  the  street-cars,  to  simplify  most  of  the 
sterner  problems  of  every-day  life.  As  its 
lineaments  began  to  stare  at  passers-by  from 
thousands  of  huge  bill-boards  over  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land,  dimes  turned  to  dol- 

41 


42  JEWEL  WEED  ] 

lars  in  Mr.  Early's  ever-widening  pockets, 
and  for  the  time  he  felt  himself  a  man  of  dis- 
tinction. Yet  in  these  later  and  regenerate 
days,  Mr.  Early  sometimes  had  a  moment's 
anguish  as  he  remembered  those  miles  of  nn- 
esthetic  bill-boards,  which*  once  marred  the 
meadows  and  streams  of  his  native  land ;  for 
with  a  widening  horizon,  there  had  crept 
upon  him  a  rising  spirit  of  discontent. 

Perhaps  it  was  that  divine  discontent, 
which  William  Morris  celebrates,  that  makes 
men  yearn  for  higher  things.  Department 
stores  still  rolled  out  their  multitudinous 
cards  of  hooks-and-eyes,  but  the  person  of  Se- 
bastian Early  passed  unnoticed  in  the  crowd. 
He  yearned  for  fame,  not  for  his  product,  but 
for  himself,  and  the  same  ability  that  led 
him  to  serve  the  wants  of  the  public  in  hooks 
now  drove  him  to  study  its  social  demands. 
Like  many  another  unfortunate,  he  began  to 
perceive  that  dollars  alone  were  not  enough 
of  a  key  to  unlock  the  magic  door.  In  this 
over-fed  land,  people  with  money  are  growing 
too  common.  Therefore  to  gold  one  must  add 
power  and  distinction,  if  one  would  keep  one 's 
head  above  the  herd.  This  must  one  do  and 
not  leave  the  other  undone. 

Sebastian  determined  to  make  himself  in- 


AN  OCCIDENTAL  LUMINARY      43 

teresting.  The  public  has  a  fawning  respect 
for  fame.  One  or  two  abortive  attempts  con- 
vinced Mr.  Early  that  his  literary  efforts 
would  bring  him  not  even  the  distinction  of 
infamy.  At  last  he  hit  upon  an  idea.  He 
would  be  a  patron  of  the  Arts — not  one  of 
your  little  ordinary  buyers,  but  a  man  whose 
purse  was,  so  to  speak,  regilded  by  mind.  He 
spent  six  months  of  hard  work  as  a  student 
of  the  situation  and  then  he  made  his  debut. 
He  selected  a  few  gems  of  half-forgotten 
eighteenth  century  literature — gems  that  de- 
served to  be  given  life-preservers  on  that 
stream  of  oblivion  into  which  they  were  too 
surely  being  sucked.  These  he  brought  forth 
in  tiny  volumes,  wide-edged  and  thick-pa- 
pered, illuminated  as  to  capitals  and  bound 
in  ooze  or  in  old  brocade  on  which  were  scat- 
tered a  few  decorations,  calculated,  so  un- 
thinkable were  they,  to  upset  the  reasoning 
power  of  the  average  reader,  and  thus  pre- 
pare him  for  the  literary  matter  which  he 
should  find  within. 

These  books  naturally  ^^took.'^  They  in- 
vited no  man  to  read,  but  they  were  interest- 
ing to  look  at  and  therefore  particularly 
adapted  to  those  occasions  when  one  must 
make  a  small  gift  to  a  friend.    Scarce  a  cen- 


44  JEWEL  WEED 

ter-table  in  the  country  but  held  at  least  one. 
The  beauty  of  it  was  that  the  literary  matter 
cost  him  nothing,  and  the  books  were  their 
own  advertising  bill-boards;  for  wherever 
they  went  they  lay  in  conspicuous  places. 

From  books  Mr.  Early  passed  on  to  furni- 
ture; and  he  begot  strange  shapes,  wherein 
forgotten  Gothic  forms  were  commingled 
with  forms  that  never  man  saw  before ;  and 
these  also  took.  So  the  circle  widened,  until 
glass  pottery  and  rugs  were  gathered  into  the 
potpourri  of  Mr.  Early's  genius. 

Finally  he  established  his  magazine,  The 
Aspirant,  for  he  began  to  feel  the  need  of  ex- 
plaining things — chiefly  himself — to  his  ex- 
panding circle.  The  Aspirant  had  covers  of 
butcher's  paper;  and  the  necessity  for  self- 
defense  at  last  developed  in  Mr.  Early  that 
literary  style  which  he  had  found  it  impos- 
sible to  cultivate  while  he  still  had  nothing  to 
say.  He  grew  a  peculiar  ability  for  self- 
glorification  and  for  slugging  the  other  man. 
Particularly  caustic  did  his  pen  become  in 
respect  to  those,  whether  painters,  musicians, 
poets,  novelists  or  reformers,  who  had  en- 
deared themselves  to  the  great  mass  of  the 
public.  The  Aspirant  always  called  the  pub- 
lic ^'the  rabble,"  and  you  can't  damn  human- 


AN  OCCIDENTAL  LUMINARY      45 

ity  more  easily  and  cheaply  than  by  calling 
it  ^Hhe  rabble."  Naturally  every  one  has- 
tened to  buy  Mr.  Early's  furniture,  his  rugs 
and  his  pottery,  and  diligently  to  read 
The  Aspirant,  in  order  that  he  or  she  might 
escape  the  universal  condemnation.  Be  outre 
and  you'll  be  right;  be  right  and  you'll  be 
outre;  be  outre  anyway :  was  the  simple  creed. 

To  those  penniless  celebrities  to  whom  pur- 
chase of  Mr.  Early's  commodities  was  over- 
expensive,  there  was  another  way  out  from 
under.  They  might  visit  Mr.  Early's  hospi- 
table home,  and  so  contribute  their  mite  to  the 
halo  of  distinction  that  surrounded  him.  The 
great  ones  came  to  St.  Etienne.  They  ate 
and  drank  and  were  exhibited  to  an  admiring 
throng.  They  gave  lectures,  introduced  from 
the  platform  by  Mr.  Sebastian  Early;  they 
went  away  and  The  Aspirant  chronicled  their 
satellite  excellences.  No  such  ex-guest  need 
fear  a  blow  in  the  face  upon  its  pages.  All 
these  things  came  before  the  public — ^more 
and  more  before  the  public  every  year.  They 
kept  Mr.  Early's  growing  corps  of  assistants 
busy,  inventing  new  furniture  and  new  forms 
of  invective. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  hook-and-eye 
was  never  included  in  the  illustrious  list  of 


46  JEWEL  WEED 

Mr.  Early's  productions.  That  gentleman 
frequently  blessed  himself  in  private  that  his 
first  comniodity  had  been  put  upon  the  market 
as  the  ^^ Imperial,"  and  not  as  the  ^* Bright 
and  Early"  as  he  had  once  half-resolved. 
Only  a  few  knew  who  was  responsible  for  the 
bill-boards. 

Still  even  his  new  enterprises  paid.  He 
was  a  good  business  man,  and  he  shared  with 
^Hhe  rabble"  an  appetite  for  cold  cash.  Nor 
did  the  crafty  Arts  exhaust  either  his  abilities 
or  his  desires;  for  though  he  had  no  wish 
to  pose  before  the  world  in  the  over-done 
role  of  a  millionaire,  still  he  needed  money 
and  ever  more  and  more  money.  To  get  it 
he  kept  his  hand  in  many  a  business  enter- 
prise and  his  eye  on  many  a  speculation  of 
which  the  gaping  world  did  not  dream.  Even 
his  right-hand  editorial  writer  knew  not  of  his 
left-handed  dip  into  an  electric  light  company 
here  or  a  paving  contract  there,  for  his  left 
hand  had  assistants  too, — quiet,  unobtrusive, 
even  shy, — ^men  who  could  lobby  a  bill  ^'on 
the  quiet,"  or  wreck  an  opposing  company, 
even  though  they  did  not  know  the  difference 
between  Hafiz  and  chutney.  And  Mr.  Early's 
mind  was  of  such  a  broad  catholicity  that  it 
would  be  hard  to  tell  which  side  of  his  career 


AN  OCCIDENTAL  LUMINARY      47 

he  most  enjoyed,  the  variety-show  or  the  still- 
hunt. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  this  great  man, 
who  was  a  credit  to  the  new  art  movement 
of  our  time,  and  of  whom  St.  Etienne,  a  young 
western  city,  felt  justly  proud,  was  in  his 
usual  element  when  he  introduced  to  the  so- 
ciety, in  which  he  was  now  a  fixed  star,  a  light 
from  the  Far  East.  And  Swami  Eam  Juna 
seemed  so  sure  that  he  himself  was  right  and 
all  the  rest  of  the  world  was  wrong,  that  Mr. 
Early  felt  him  to  be  a  kindred  spirit. 

The  impression  deepened  as  he  found  him- 
self alone  with  the  Hindu.  He  had  rather 
dreaded  the  strange  demands  and  customs 
that  might  meet  him ;  but  the  man  of  bronze 
and  the  snowy  turban  proved  himself  to  be 
the  best  of  table  companions,  suave,  courte- 
ous and  sympathetic.  He  seemed  even  to  take 
a  kindly  interest  in  such  matters  of  a  day  as 
Mr.  Early's  incursions  into  the  realms  of 
art  and  literature.  Through  dinner  they 
chatted  almost  gaily,  and  afterward,  while 
Mr.  Early  smoked,  the  Swami  joined  him  in 
the  slow  sipping  of  a  liqueur. 

There  is  a  frankness  of  those  who  have 
nothing  to  hide;  there  is  a  frankness  which! 
makes  a  mask  for  him  who  is,  below  the  sur- 


48  JEWEL  WEED 

face,  all  mystery.  As  Sebastian  studied  his 
companion,  he  told  himself  that  this  simple 
creature  was  after  all  a  man,  perhaps  adapt- 
ing himself  to  public  demands  as  any  clever 
fellow  would;  and,  as  this  thought  occurred 
to  him,  Mr.  Early's  benevolence  increased. 

^^You  ought  to  write  a  book,"  he  said  with 
the  air  of  one  projecting  a  novel  thought. 
^^With  your  gift  for  expression,  and  your — 
ah — insight  into  realities,  you  couldn't  fail 
to  make  a  success  of  it." 

^^It  is  my  intention,"  said  the  Hindu. 

Mr.  Early  looked  a  little  taken  aback,  but 
brightened  again  with  a  new  suggestion. 

^ '  Why  not  do  it  here  ? "  he  asked.  ' '  Come, 
where  could  you  find  a  more  fitting  place? 
You  have  your  rooms  in  a  wing  of  the  house 
all  to  yourself.  That  gives  you  perfect  soli- 
tude. I  should  be  delighted  to  have  you  for 
my  guest  while  you  do  your  work ;  and  when 
you  finish,  I  know  enough  of  the  tricks  of  the 
trade  to  help  you  push  it  a  bit. ' ' 

^  ^  Of  a  certainty  truth  is  self -vigorous,  and 
needs  no  tricks  to  keep  it  living. ' ' 

^'Ah,  yes,"  the  man  of  business  answered 
cheerfully.  '^But  one  may  boost  it, — one 
may  boost  it,  my  dear  fellow." 

The  Swami  bent  his  great  head  and  ap- 


AN  OCCIDENTAL  LUMINAEYi     49 

peared  to  meditate.  When  he  looked  up,  his 
spiritual  eyes  were  narrowed  to  a  specula- 
tive slit,  and  he  studied  the  face  on  the  other 
side  of  the  comfortable  log  fire. 

'^My  friend,  you  are  generous.  You  offer 
me  a  home,  and  I  am  fain  to  accept  it,  if  I 
may  put  the  offer  in  another  form.  For  the 
present  I  must  return  to  India.  Too  long 
already  have  I  been  away  from  the  atmos- 
phere which  is  to  me  life.  I  must  see  some 
of  the  brothers  of  my  soul.  I  must  saturate 
myself  with  repose  and  with  the  underlying 
— ^with  Karma.  Also,  in  this  too-vigorous 
country,  that  is  unattainable.  But  here,  in 
this  place,  one  who  is  filled  with  the  message 
might  give  it  forth  to  his  brothers — ^or  per- 
haps to  the  sisters,  who  appear  the  more  anx- 
ious for  it.  Here  the  very  energy  of  the  air 
says  ^give'  rather  than  ^grow'.  If  I  might 
a  year — six  months  hence — accept  your  hos- 
pitality?" He  looked  tentatively  at  Mr. 
Early. 

^  ^  My  home  is  yours.  Do  what  you  like  with 
it,"  said  Mr.  Early  benignly.  He  was  think- 
ing how  well  a  picturesque  cut  of  the  Hindu's 
head  would  look  on  the  covers  of  The  Aspi- 
rant, combined  with  a  judicious  puff  within. 

The  Swami  smiled  serenely. 


50  JEWEL  WEED 

*^I  observe/'  he  went  on  in  his  delicate 
voice,  ^'that  the  wing  on  the  ground  floor,  in 
which  you  have  given  me  room,  has  two  apart- 
ments, divided  by  a  little  passage,  and  that 
the  little  passage  gives  not  upon  the  public 
highway,  but  upon  a  garden,  quiet  and  lovely, 
that  faces  the  sun  and  is  shut  in  by  brick 
walls  and  hedges.  The  farther  one  of  these 
rooms  is  bare  and  but  slightly  furnished, 
though  my  bedroom  is  sumptuous  like  that  of 
a  maha-rajah.  Still  the  bare  small  room 
pleases  me  best.  If  I  might  have  this  room 
when  I  come  again !  If  I  might  keep  the  bare 
room  sacred  to  my  meditations,  all  unentered 
save  by  myself!  It  means  to  me  much  that 
no  alien  mind,  no  soul  of  a  common  servant, 
should  mar  the  serenity  of  the  atmosphere 
in  that  spot  where  I  sit  alone  with  myself. 
I  would  have  it  dedicated  to  the  greater  Me. 
It  would  be  the  cap-sheaf — do  you  not  so  say 
in  this  land  of  great  harvests  ? — thus  to  give 
shelter  not  only  to  my  body,  but  to  my  soul, 
in  this  bare  and  quiet  little  room." 

*^Why,  certainly,  certainly!"  Mr.  Early 
could  not  help  thinking  that  a  guest  who 
spent  most  of  his  time  alone  in  an  empty 
room  would  prove  no  great  tax  upon  his  en- 
tertainer. 


AN  OCCIDENTAL  LUMINAEY      51 

*'I  thank  you,"  said  Earn  Juna,  rising  and 
making  a  salaam  of  curious  dignity  and  cour- 
tesy. ^^You  bid  me  lecture.  You  bid  me 
write  and  instruct  in  the  sacred  truths.  That 
will  I  do  when  I  come  again ;  and  my  consola- 
tion shall  be  the  unblemished  hours  when  I 
sit  alone  in  the  little  room  which  faces  the 
sun.  You  comprehend  me  I  You  under- 
stand?" 

And  Mr.  Early,  who  never,  if  he  could  help 
it,  spent  a  half-hour  in  either  solitude  or  idle- 
ness, answered  again  : 

^^Why,  certainly,  certainly." 

^'In  some  months,  then,  I  may  return,  noble 
friend.  And  now  I  will  bid  you  farewell 
until  the  dawn. ' ' 

The  Swami,  with  marvelous  lightness  of 
foot  in  spite  of  his  huge  body,  made  off  for 
his  own  domain.  If  Mr.  Early,  who  now  sat 
and  yawned  alone  by  the  dying  fire,  could 
have  peeped  in  on  the  excellent  Eam  Juna, 
he  would  have  been  much  gratified  by  the 
evident  satisfaction  with  which  the  Oriental 
surveyed  the  quarters  which  were  one  day  to 
be  his.  The  Swami  strode  at  once  across  the 
bedroom,  across  the  little  passage  that  opened 
into  the  garden,  into  the  unused  room  beyond. 
Here  with  a  swift  thrust  he  turned  on  the 


52  JEWEL  WEED 

electric  light,  then  moved  from  window  to 
window,  opened  them,  examined  the  heavy 
wooden  shutters  which  he  closed  and  unclosed, 
craning  his  bull-neck  through  the  opened 
sashes.  Around  and  under  each  piece  of  fur- 
niture he  peered,  nodding  and  smiling  his  ap- 
probation of  everything.  As  he  came  out,  he 
paused  for  some  moments  to  examine  the  lock 
on  the  door. 

^' Quite  inadequate,  quite  inadequate,"  he 
muttered  with  a  frown.  ^^  We  must  do  better 
than  that." 

He  stood  and  thought  a  moment,  then  put 
out  the  light,  stepped  to  the  garden  door  and 
disappeared  into  the  night. 

With  so  light  a  tread  did  he  come  back  that 
Mr.  Early,  should  he  have  been  listening, 
could  have  heard  no  warning  footstep  to  tell 
him  that  his  guest  was  returning. 

Back  in  his  own  bedroom,  Eam  Juna  peeped 
into  the  luxurious  bath-room  with  placid  de- 
light. 

'^So  much  water,  so  easily  hot,"  he  said. 
*'It  is  admirable.  All  is  admirable."  He 
sank  in  a  heap,  cross-legged,  in  the  middle  of 
the  floor,  with  large  hands  folded  over  his 
stomach,  and  large  eyes  narrowed,  while  a 
kindly  smile  spread  over  his  face,  and  his 


AN  OCCIDENTAL  LUMINARY      53 

head  nodded  at  rhythmic  intervals,  for  all  the 
world  like  a  benevolent  Buddha.  The  rnby^ 
glowed  and  sparkled  like  a  living  thing  in  the 
light  and  movement;  and  thus  he  sat  for 
some  hours. 


CHAPTER  IV 

AT  MADEUNE'S 

^^Now,"  said  Richard  Percival,  as  he  and 
Norris  stowed  themselves  away  in  his  auto- 
mobile, ^^we  shall  leave  the  city,  in  which  are 
contained  how  many  loves  and  struggles  and 
silk  umbrellas  at  reasonable  prices,  and  go  to 
the  lake  where  there  is  no  civilization  to 
bother  and  distract.  The  lake  is  ^The  Lake' 
Tpar  excellence  to  St.  Etienne.  It  was  created 
by  Providence  for  summer  homes.  There- 
fore it  was  placed  only  ten  miles  from  the 
Falls.  Providence  was  a  good  business  wom- 
an. Generations  of  savages  lived  and  died — 
chiefly  died — here.  They  came  where  the 
Father  of  Waters  roared  and  tumbled  and 
they  made  their  prayers  to  the  Great  Spirit, 
but  the  sight  never  suggested  to  them  a  great 
city.  Then  came  the  Anglo-Saxon,  whatever 
he  is,  and  harnessed  the  power  of  the  river, 
and  built  ugly  gray  mills,  dusty  with  flour, 
and  turned  his  log  huts  into  houses  of  brick 

54 


AT  MADELINE'S  55 

and  stone,  and  erected  saloons  and  depart- 
ment stores.  And  when  he  had  worked  like 
Daedalus — and  you  Ve  probably  forgotten 
who  Daedalus  was,  now  that  you  have  been 
a  few  weeks  out  of  college — ^when  he  had 
worked  like  Daedalus,  I  say,  and  got  the  hard- 
est of  it  done,  he  began  to  look  at  something 
besides  the  Falls  and  to  pine  for  means  of 
dalliance.  Behold  then  at  his  hand,  Lake 
Imnijaska!  And  now  Madeline  Elton  is  the 
best  thing  on  its  shore.     Gee  up,  old  motor ! ' ' 

They  sped  along  and  Dick  took  up  the  tale. 
He  was  used  to  talking  while  Norris  listened 
and  appreciated. 

^^ Evidently  you  don't  know  who  Daedalus 
was  or  you  would  have  answered  back.  What 
kind  of  an  omniscient  editor  are  you  going 
to  make,  think  you?  Never  mind,  Daedalus 
is  dead ;  and,  anyway,  Edison  has  beaten  him 
by  six  holes. 

^'The  lake,  as  I  was  saying,  twists  and  turns 
so  that  it  gets  in  more  shore  to  the  square 
inch  than  any  other  known  sheet  of  water. 
Therefore  the  real-estate  dealer  loves  it. 
And  if  you  elevate  your  longshore  nose 
and  sniff  at  our  lake  because  no  salt  codfish 
dry  upon  smelly  wharves  and  no  sea  anem- 
ones  or  crabs   appear  and  disappear  with 


56  JEWEL  WEED 

the  tides,  then  will  the  entire  population  of  St. 
Etienne  rise  and  howl  anathemas  at  you. 
They  will  run  you  out  of  town  on  the  Chicago 
Express,  and  as  you  fly  for  your  life  they  will 
shriek  after  you,  ^Well,  anyway,  we  feed  the 
world  with  flour!'  Yes,  sir,  that  is  the  way 
we  Westerners  argue." 

Dick  halted  at  the  top  of  the  hill  up  which 
the  faithful  motor  had  coughed,  and  the  two 
looked  down  on  the  shimmering  blue  that 
stretched  below  them  with  arms  of  broken 
opals  sprawling  for  miles,  now  here,  now 
there.  Long  tortuous  passages  opened  out 
anew  into  ever  more  bays,  as  though  the 
water  were  greedy  to  explore.  Around  it 
rolled  the  woodland  in  billows;  of  intense 
green  with  sandy  beaches  in  the  troughs  and 
straight  cliffs  at  the  crests.  The  green  is- 
lands were  vivid  in  color.  So  was  the  sky 
above,  like  the  flash  in  a  sapphire.  A  half- 
dozen  sails  fluttered  gull-like,  and  as  many 
launches  darted  along,  suggesting  living 
water  creatures. 

**By  Jove!"  Ellery  exclaimed,  moving  un- 
easily. ^^When  you  sniff  this  air  it  makes 
you  want  to  stand  on  tiptoe  on  a  hilltop  and 
shout.  And  when  you  look  at  these  colors, 
they  are  too  brilliant  to  be  true. ' ' 


AT  MADELINE'S  57 

^^Even  you,  you  old  conservative  slow-pok- 
ing duffer!"  cried  Dick.  *^This  is  the  land 
to  wake  you  up.  It  calls  ^harder — ^harder!' 
every  day. ' ' 

^^It's  a  different  kind  of  beauty  from  what 
I'm  used  to."  Ellery  sobered  down  again. 
'^IVe  been  trying  to  analyze  it  ever  since  I 
came  West.  It  wouldn't  appeal  to  the  tired 
or  the  world-weary.  Its  charm  is  for  the 
vigorous  and  the  confident  and  the  hopeful — 
for  the  young." 

*^For  us,  my  boy,"  Dick  said. 

^^At  Madeline's,"  as  Dick  called  it,  with 
that  obliviousness  of  the  older  generation 
shown  by  the  younger,  Norris  felt  as  they  en- 
tered, as  he  had  felt  at  Mrs.  Percival's,  that 
he  was  in  a  candid,  human,  refined  home,  with 
a  full  appreciation  of  the  finer  sides  of  life. 
They  passed  through  the  drawing-room  and 
by  long  glass  doors  to  the  broad  piazza,  with 
every  invitation  to  laziness,  easy  chairs,  cush- 
ions, magazines,  all  made  fragrant  by  a  huge 
jar  of  roses  and  another  of  sweet  peas.  And 
there  was  not  too  much.  The  veranda  in 
turn  gave  upon  a  wide  expanse  of  green  that 
stretched  steeply  down  to  that  cool  wet  line 
where  the  lapping  waters  met  the  lawn.  The 
trees  whispered  softly  around.    Every  pros- 


58  JEWEL  WEED 

pect  was  pleasing,  and  only  man  was  vile ;  for 
there  was  another  man,  sitting  in  the  most 
comfortable  of  chairs  and  engaging  Madeline 
all  to  himself,  as  he  contentedly  sipped  the 
cup  of  tea  that  he  had  taken  from  her  hand. 
This  other  man,  whose  name  was  Davison, 
was  making  himself  agreeable  after  the  fash- 
ion of  his  kind,  a  fashion  quite  familiar  to 
every  girl  who  has  been  so  unfortunate  as  to 
get  a  reputation,  however  little  deserved,  for 
superior  brains. 

* ^ Afternoon, "  he  said,  ^'I  didn't  suppose 
any  other  fellows  except  myself  were  brave 
enough  to  call  on  Miss  Elton.  I  hear  she's 
so  awfully  clever,  you  know.  Taken  degrees 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  Give  you  my  word 
it  comes  out  in  everything  around  her.  Why, 
this  very  napkin  she  gave  me  has  a  Greek 
border.     Everything  has  to  be  classic  now." 

'^Not  everything,  Mr.  Davison,"  said 
Madeline  indulgently.  ^^You  know  I  am  de- 
lighted to  have  you  here."  She  turned  ab- 
ruptly to  the  new-comers  as  though  she  had 
already  had  a  surfeit  of  this  subject.  It  is  a 
pleasant  thing  to  have  had  a  good  education, 
but  one  does  not  care  to  spend  one's  time 
thinking  about  it,  any  more  than  about  how 
much  money  there  is  in  one's  pocket. 


AT  MADELINE'S  59 

^^  You  had  a  fine  ride  out?"  Madeline  asked. 

*^ Great!"  answered  Dick.  ^'To  be  young, 
on  a  summer  day,  seated  in  a  good  motor  with 
a  thoroughly  tamed  and  domesticated  gaso- 
line engine,  and  to  be  coming  to  see  you — 
what  more  could  we  ask  of  the  gods?" 

*^You  see  Percival  feels  that  he  must  lard 
the  gods  into  his  intercourse  with  you,  Miss 
Elton,"  Mr.  Davison  interjected. 

^^ That's  because  the  gods  have  become  nice 
homey  things, ' '  retorted  Dick.  ' '  Even  in  the 
West  we  couldn't  keep  house  without  Dionys- 
ius  assisted  by  Hebe  to  superintend  our  after- 
noon teas,  and  Hercules  as  a  patron  of  base- 
ball." 

Madeline  laughed  and  cast  a  grateful  look 
in  his  direction. 

**You  see  how  pleasant  it  is  to  feel  familiar 
with  the  gods  so  that  you  can  use  them  free- 
ly, ' '  she  said. 

^^So  you  don't  think  it's  necessary,  in  or- 
der to  be  clever,  to  despise  everything  that's 
done  nowadays,  because  the  Greeks  used  up 
all  the  ideas  first?"  asked  Davison. 

^'Not  at  all.  Nature  conducts  a  vast  reno- 
vating and  cleaning  establishment,  and  when- 
ever any  old  ideas  look  the  least  bit  frayed 
or  soiled  around  the  edges,  pop,  in  they  go, 


60  JEWEL  WEED 

and  come  out  French  dry-cleaned  and  as 
fresh  as  ever.  They're  sent  home  in  a  spick- 
span  box  and  you  couldn't  tell  'em  from 
new. ' ' 

'^If  we  don't  get  anything  new  I  hope  that 
we,  at  least,  get  rid  of  some  of  the  old  things 
— fears  and  superstitions,"  said  Madeline. 
*  ^  Things  that  are  holy  rites  in  one  age  are  so 
apt  to  be  holy  frights  in  the  next." 

' '  Say,  did  you  ever  go  down  the  streets  of 
Boston  and  notice  the  number  of  signs  of 
palmists  and  astrologers  and  vacuum  cures?" 
exclaimed  Davison.  ^^But  perhaps  it  ain't 
fair  to  take  Boston  for  a  standard." 

EUery,  a  true  New  Englander,  stared  at 
him  in  astonishment,  as  one  who  heard  sacred 
things  lightly  spoken  of. 

*^Most  of  us  can  see  how  funny  we  are," 
Davison  pursued. 

*  *  Can  we  ? "  murmured  Dick. 

^'But  Boston,"  he  went  on  calmly,  ^^has 
lost  her  sense  of  humor.  She  peers  down  at 
everything  she  does  and  says,  'This  is  very 
serious.'  That's  why  she  takes  astrologers 
in  earnest.  They're  in  Boston.  Anyway,  I 
think  you  were  mighty  sensible  to  come  back 
to  us,  Miss  Elton,  rather  than  to  stay  in  the 
unmarried    state,    alias    Massachusetts.    !Ai 


AT  MADELINE'S  61 

girl  really  has  a  much  better  chance  in  the 
West." 

^^Yes,  that's  where  Miss  Elton  showed  a 
long  head, ' '  said  Dick  with  evident  glee. 

^^But  really  now,  joking  apart,"  Davison 
went  on,  having  made  his  opening,  ^^ don't 
you  think  it's  unsettling  to  a  girl  to  do  too 
much  studying?" 

^^I  hope  you  are  not  deeply  agitated  over 
the  eradication  of  womanliness,"  Madeline 
remonstrated.  ^ ' Eeally,  Mr.  Davison,  it  isn't 
an  easy  thing  to  stop  being  a  woman — ^when 
you  happen  to  be  born  one. ' ' 

^^But  there  are  plenty  of  unwomanly  wom- 
en," he  objected. 

^^ That's  true,"  she  answered,  **but  I  be- 
lieve womanliness  is  killed — when  it  is  killed 
— not  through  the  brain,  but  through  the 
heart.  It 's  not  knowledge,  but  hard-hearted- 
ness  that  makes  the  unwomanly  woman." 

She  glanced  up  and  met  Norris'  eyes.  It 
was  not  easy  for  him  to  join  in  the  chatter 
of  the  others,  but  he  was  thinking  how  she 
illuminated  her  own  words.  Manifestly  she 
was  not  lacking  in  mind,  and  quite  as  evident- 
ly her  brain  was  only  the  antechamber  of  her 
nature.  She  gave  him  the  impression  of '  *  the 
heart  at  leisure  from  itself".    There  was  the 


62  JEWEL  WEED 

unconsciousness  of  sheltered  girlhood,  but 
already,  in  bud,  the  suggestion  of  that  big 
type  of  woman  who,  as  years  mellow  her, 
touches  with  sympathy  every  life  with  which 
she  comes  in  contact.  What  she  now  was, 
promised  more  in  the  future,  as  though  Fate 
said,  '^I'm  not  through  with  her  yet.  I've 
plenty  in  reserve  to  go  to  her  making. ' ' 

^* Intelligence,"  said  Dick  pompously,  ^4s 
the  tree  of  life  in  man,  and  the  flower  in 
woman — and  one  does  not  presume  to  criti- 
cize flowers. ' ' 

Mr.  Davison  changed  his  method  of  at- 
tack. 

'^Oh,  of  course  I'm  up  against  it,"  he  said, 
^^with  you  three  fresh  from  the  academic 
halls.  But  I  can  tell  you  you'll  feel  pretty 
lonely  out  here.  The  street-car  conductors 
don't  talk  Sanskrit  in  the  West.  They  talk 
Swede." 

^^Oh,  this, — this  is  home!"  cried  Madeline, 
springing  up  as  if  to  shake  off  the  conversa- 
tion. ^^You  don't  know  how  I  love  it!  It's 
fresh  and  vigorous  and  its  face  is  forward." 
She  flung  out  her  arms  and  smiled  radiantly 
down  on  the  three  young  men,  as  though  she 
were  an  embodiment  of  the  ozone  of  the 
Northwest. 


AT  MADELINE'S  63 

^^Sing  to  us,  please,  Madeline,"  said  Dick. 

<<Very  well,  I  will,"  she  said.  **I'll  sing 
yon  a  song  I  made  myself  yesterday,  when  I 
was  happy  because  I  was  at  home  again. 
Perhaps  it  will  tell  yon  how  I  feel,  for  it's  a 
song  of  Minnesota."  She  turned  and  nod- 
ded to  Mr.  Davison,  and  then  slipped  through 
the  doors  to  the  room  where  the  piano  stood. 

The  long  shadows  of  afternoon  lay  across 
the  lawn,  and  the  grass,  more  green  than  ever 
in  the  level  light,  clasped  the  dazzling  blue 
of  the  quiet  waters.  The  three  men  stretched 
themselves  in  their  easy  chairs,  as  a  stroked 
kitten  stretches  itself,  with  a  lounging  aban- 
don which  is  forbidden  to  their  sisters,  as 
Madeline's  voice  rose  fresh  and  true  and 
touched  with  the  joy  of  youth.  . 

^  *  Ho,  west  wind  off  the  prairie ; 

Ho,  north  wind  off  the  pine ; 
Ho,  myriad  azure  lakes,  hill-clasped, 

Like  cups  of  living  wine ; 
Ho,  mighty  river  rolling ; 

Ho,  fallow,  field  and  fen; 
By  a  thousand  voices  nature  calls, 

To  fire  the  hearts  of  men. 

'*Ho,  fragrance  of  the  wheat-fields; 
Ho,  garnered  hoards  of  flax ; 


64  JEWEL  WEED 

Ho,  whirling  millwheel,  'neath  the  falls ; 

Ho,  woodman's  ringing  ax. 
Man  blends  his  voice  with  nature 's, 

And  the  great  chorus  swells. 
He  adds  the  notes  of  home  and  love 

To  the  tale  the  forest  tells. 

''Oh,  young  blood  of  the  nation; 

Oh,  hope  in  a  world  of  need ; 
The  traditions  of  the  fathers 

Still  be  our  vital  seed. 
Thy  newer  daughters  of  the  West, 

Columbia,  mother  mine. 
Still  hold  to  the  simple  virtues 

Of  field  and  stream  and  pine." 

The  song  stopped  abruptly,  and  Dick 
sprang  to  his  feet. 

''Good,  Madeline !''  he  exclaimed.  "You 
make  me  feel  how  great  it  is  to  be  part  of  it." 

"Do  ir'  she  said.  "I  thought  of  you 
when  I  wrote  it.  Oh,  here  come  father  and 
mother  back  from  their  drive." 

Mr.  Davison  rose  hastily. 

"I'd  no  idea  it  was  so  late,"  he  said.  "I 
must  be  going.  Miss  Elton,  I  didn't  mean  a 
word  of  all  that  about  your  being  so  clever. 
You're  all  right." 

"Thanks  for  the  tribute,"  Madeline  smiled 
as  he  disappeared  down  the  drive.    "Dick,  I 


AT  MADELINE'S  65 

wish  you'd  always  be  on  hand  when  he  comes. 
He  makes  my  brain  feel  like  a  woolly  dog." 

''Rummy  chap,"  said  Norris. 

The  older  people  came  in  to  greet  the  boy 
they  had  known  all  his  life,  to  ask  the  innu- 
merable usual  questions,  to  say  the  inevitable 
things  through  dinner. 

Afterwards,  when  the  last  fragments  of 
sunset  burned  through  and  across  the  water, 
they  gathered  on  the  piazza.  It  was  that 
dreamy  hour  when  women  find  it  easy  to  be 
silent  and  men  to  talk.  Madeline  and  her 
mother  sat  close,  with  hands  restfully  clasped 
in  their  joy  at  being  together.  Mr.  Elton 
eyed  the  two  young  men  from  his  vantage  of 
years  of  shrewd  wisdom.  Both  the  boys  were 
clean-shaven,  after  the  manner  of  the  day,  a 
fashion  that  seems  to  become  clean  manliness, 
vigorous  and  self-controlled.  Both  were  good 
to  look  at;  but  here  the  resemblance  ended, 
for  Dick's  long  slender  face  and  body  lithe 
with  its  athletic  training,  was  alive  and  rest- 
less, as  though  he  found  it  diflBcult  to  keep 
back  his  passion  for  activity;  EUery,  big  but 
loosely  joined,  had  the  dogged  look  of  one 
that  held  some  of  his  energy  in  reserve.  A 
good  pair,  Mr.  Elton  concluded,  and  felt  a 
sudden  spasm  of  longing  for  a  son — not  that 


66  JEWEL  WEED 

he  would  have  exchanged  Madeline  for  any 
trousered  biped  that  walked,  but  it  would  be 
a  great  thing  to  own  one  such  well  of  young 
masculine  vigor  as  these. 

''It's  going  to  be  great  fun  for  us  old  fel- 
lows to  sit  back  and  watch  you  young  ones,'^ 
the  elder  man  ejaculated.  ''There  are  sev- 
eral good-sized  jobs  waiting  for  you." 

' '  That 's  a  good  thing, ' '  said  Dick.  ' '  When 
there's  nothing  to  do,  nobody '11  do  it." 

"And  it  will  be  a  tame  sort  of  a  world,  eh? 
Well,  thank  the  Lord,  it's  none  of  our  respon- 
sibility any  longer.  You've  got  to  tackle  it. 
The  new  phases  of  things  are  too  much  for 
me,  with  a  brain  solidified  by  years." 

"You  might  at  least  help  us  by  stating  the 
problem, ' '  said  Norris. 

"You  see,  it's  like  this.  Until  a  few  years 
ago  every  census  map  of  the  United  States 
was  seamed  by  a  long  line  marked  'frontier.' 
That  line  is  gone.  That's  the  situation  in  a 
nutshell.  Our  work,  the  subjugation  of  the 
land,  is  about  done,  and  the  question  is  now 
up  to  you;  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  it? 
You  know  the  old  story  of  the  man  who  said 
he  had  a  horse  who  could  run  a  mile  in  two- 
forty.  And  the  other  fellow  asked,  'What  are 
you  going  to  do  when  you  get  there?'    We've 


AT  MADELINE'S  67 

done  the  running  and  our  children  are  there. 
Now  what  ?  You  must  develop  a  whole  set  of 
new  talents — ^not  trotting  talents,  but  staying 
talents." 

'^I  suppose,"  said  Norris  slowly,  for  Dick 
was  silent,  ^^circumstances  bring  out  abilities. 
That's  the  law  that  operated  in  the  case  of 
the  older  generation,  and  we'll  have  to  trust 
to  it  in  ours." 

^^ That's  true.  But  I  sometimes  wonder  if, 
after  all,  we  are  helping  you  to  the  best  prepa- 
ration. We  send  you  back  to  get  the  old  edu- 
cation. The  tendency  of  old  communities  is 
to  rehash  the  traditions  until  they  become 
authority.  New  communities  have  to  face 
problems  for  themselves  and  solve  them  by 
new  ways.  The  first  kind  of  training  makes 
scholars.  The  second  brings  out  genius. 
The  old  makes  men  think  over  the  thoughts 
of  others.  Heaven  knows  we  need  men  who 
will  think  for  themselves ! " 

^^Well,  ^old  and  young  are  fellows',"  said 
Dick.     ^^ To-day  grows  out  of  yesterday." 

^^Yes,  if  it  grows.  The  growing  is  the 
point.  It  mustn't  molder  on  yesterday.  You 
must  have  enough  books  to  get  your  thinkers 
going,  but  not  more.  You  must  not  feast  on 
libraries  until  you  get  intellectual  gout  and 


68  JEWEL  WEED 

have  to  tickle  your  palate  with  dainties.  A 
good  deal  of  stuff  that's  written  nowadays 
seems  to  me  like  literary  cocktails, — some- 
thing to  stir  a  jaded  appetite.  That's  my 
friend  Early's  specialty — to  serve  literary 
cocktails.  But  the  appetite  you  bolster  up 
isn  't  the  equivalent  of  a  good  healthy  hunger 
after  a  day  out-of-doors." 

^^When  nature  wants  a  genius,  I  suppose 
she  has  to  use  fresh  seed, ' '  said  Dick. 

^^And  genius  is  creative,"  Mr.  Elton  went 
on.  ^  ^  So  far,  the  genius  this  country  has  de- 
veloped is  that  which  takes  the  raw  material 
of  forest  and  river  and  creates  civilization. 
And  let  me  tell  you  that's  a  very  different  job 
from  heaping  up  population." 

Silence  fell  on  the  little  group  and  they  be- 
came suddenly  aware  of  lapping  waters  and 
the  sleepy  twitter  of  birds,  and  even  of  a  long 
slender  thread  of  pale  light  that  struck  across 
the  lake  from  a  low-lying  star.  Madeline 
gave  a  little  sigh  and  pressed  her  mother's 
hand. 

Dick  flushed  and  hesitated  in  the  darkness, 
with  youth's  confidence  in  its  own  great  pur- 
poses and  youth's  craving  for  sympathy  in  its 
ambitions.  Mr.  Elton's  combination  of  kind- 
ness and  shrewdness  seemed  to  draw  him  out. 


AT  MADELINE'S  69 

^^It  sounds  impertinent  and  conceited  for 
a  young  fellow  like  me  to  talk  about  what  he 
means  to  do." 

^^Fire  away.    I  knew  your  father,  Dick." 

^  ^  Then  you  '11  know  what  I  mean  when  I  say 
that  it  has  always  been  my  ambition  to  live 
up  to  his  traditions — his  ideal  of  a  man's 
public  duties. ' ' 

Mr.  Elton  nodded  and  Dick  went  on,  while 
EUery  eyed  him  with  some  of  the  old  college 
respect,  and  Madeline  leaned  eagerly  for- 
ward. 

*^I  don't  mean  any  splurge,  you  under- 
stand, but  the  same  quiet  service  he  gave. 
Father  left  his  affairs  in  such  good  order  that 
there  isn't  any  real  necessity  for  me  to  try 
to  add  to  my  income.  Of  course,  it  isn't  a 
great  fortune,  but  it's  more  than  enough;  and 
my  ambitions  don't  lie  that  way.  There's  a 
certain  amount  of  business  in  taking  care  of 
it  as  it  stands.  Mother  is  glad  to  turn  the 
burden  of  it  over  to  me.  She's  done  nobly 
— dear  little  woman — but — " 

^'I  understand.    It's  a  man's  business." 

*^Yes,"  said  Dick,  with  the  simple  mascu- 
line superiority  of  four  and  twenty.  ^^ That's 
enough  of  a  background  for  life,  you  see ;  but 
I  long  since  made  up  my  mind  that  public  af- 


70  JEWEL  WEED 

fairs — affairs  that  concern  the  whole  commu- 
nity— are  to  be  my  real  interest. ' ' 

*^So  you're  going  into  politics,  Dick?"  said 
the  older  man  slowly. 

^^Well,  not  to  scramble  for  oflSce,"  Percival 
answered  with  a  flush.  '^We  fellows  have 
been  well-enough  taught,  haven't  we,  EUery? 
to  know  that  it  is  rather  an  ugly  mess — ^I 
mean  municipal  affairs  in  this  country.  The 
local  situation,  here  in  St.  Etienne,  I  have  yet 
to  study ;  and  I  don't  mean  to  lose  any  time  in 
beginning. ' ' 

Mr;  Elton  made  no  reply  for  a  moment,  and 
when  he  spoke  there  was  an  unpleasant  cyni- 
cism in  his  voice  that  galled  Dick's  pride. 

*^The  young  reformer!  Well,  I  suppose  a 
decent  man  with  a  little  ability  could  do  some- 
thing here,  if  he  knew  what  he  was  going  to 
do.  It's  a  good  thing  to  get  on  your  sea-legs 
before  you  try  to  command  a  ship. ' ' 

'* Father!"  Madeline  cried  out,  unable  to 
contain  herself.  ^^ Don't  you  be  a  horrid  wet 
blanket!" 

The  three  looked  at  her  to  see  her  face 
aglow  with  the  lovely  feminine  belief  in  mas- 
culinity that  also  belongs  to  the  early  twen- 
ties. 

^^ That's  all  right,"  said  the  elder  Elton 


AT  MADELINE'S  71 

unemotionally.  '  ^  I  wasn  't  wet-blanketing — I 
know  things  are  needed.  There's  plenty  of 
corruption  wanting  to  be  buried,  and  most  of 
us  are  content  to  hold  our  noses  and  let  it 
lie.  Or  perhaps  we  give  an  exclamation  of 
disgust  when  it  is  served  up  in  the  newspa- 
pers. Eeform  if  you  must,  but  don't  reform 
all  day  and  Sundays  too ;  and  build  your  cel- 
lars before  you  begin  your  attics." 

Then  he  went  on  a  shade  more  heartily: 
^^It's  a  mighty  good  thing  for  some  of  you 
young  fellows  to  be  going  into  politics ;  per- 
haps that's  the  chief  work  for  the  next  gener- 
ation.   And  Norris — what  of  you  ? ' ' 

Ellery  started.  It  had  been  a  silent  even- 
ing for  him,  but  his  silence  had  glowed  with 
interest,  not  so  much  in  the  conversation  as 
in  his  own  thoughts.  Two  things  had  forced 
themselves  home, — the  first  when  he  looked 
down  on  that  expanse  of  vivid  water,  vivid 
sky,  vivid  green.  Here  a  man,  even  a  young 
man,  might  waken  to  all  his  faculties  and 
make  something  of  life.  He  need  not  plod 
dully  through  years,  to  reach  success  only 
when  he  is  old  and  tired.  The  landscape 
poured  like  wine  into  Ellery  Norris'  veins. 

And  now  here  was  the  other  side.  He  had 
watched  with  fascination  the  restfulness  of 


72  JEWEL  WEED 

Miss  Elton's  hands,  the  one  that  held  her 
mother's,  the  one  that  lay  quietly  in  her  lap. 
He  watched  her  steady  eyes  that  kept  npon 
her  father  and  Dick  as  they  talked.  He  saw 
her  face  glow  with  sympathy  and  interest  and 
yet  remain  calm,  as  if  secure  in  the  goodness 
of  the  world ;  and  he  told  himself  that  he  was 
glad  this  wonderful  thing  belonged  to  Dick. 
Dick's  restlessness  would  be  held  in  leash,  as 
it  were,  by  this  steadfastness. 

Once  she  half  turned  as  though  she  felt  his 
scrutiny,  and  queer  pains  darted  through  his 
body  when  her  eyes  met  his. 

Now  when  Mr.  Elton  attacked  him,  he  came 
back  from  his  far-away  excursion  with  a  sense 
of  surprise  that  there  was  a  present,  but  he 
smiled  cheerfully. 

^^Oh,  I'm  not  a  very  important  person. 
I'm  just  beginning  to  learn  the  trade  of  a 
newspaper  man,  and  I'm  afraid  I  shan't  be 
able  to  think  about  much  but  city  news  and 
bread  and  butter  for  the  next  few  years." 

^*No  telling  what  may  happen,  with  his 
Honor,  the  mayor  here,  backed  up  by  the 
power  of  the  press.  We'll  make  St.  Etienne 
a  model  city  in  the  sight  of  gods  and  men,  eh, 
boys?"  said  Mr.  Elton  good-humoredly,  but 
rising  as  if  to  cut  short  the  conversation. 


AT  MADELINE'S  73 

^^ Can't  we  take  a  walk  before  EUery  and 
I  go  back  to  town?"  asked  Dick. 

^^Go,  you  kid  things.  I  haven't  seen  the 
evening  paper  yet,  and  that's  more  to  my  old 
brain  than  moonlight  strolls."  Mr.  Elton 
dismissed  them. 

The  three  yonng  people  set  out  npon  a  path 
that  twisted  by  the  lake  shore,  bordered  on  its 
inner  side  by  trees  that  had  become  in  the 
darkness  mere  shapeless  masses  out  of  which 
an  occasional  mysterious  thread  of  light 
brought  into  sight  some  uncanny  shape.  The 
purple  of  the  evening  zenith  had  sunk  into 
deeper  and  deeper  blue,  pricked  here  and 
there  with  stars.  Bats  were  wheeling  in  mys- 
terious circles  among  the  tree-tops,  and  the 
air  was  full  of  sounds  that  seem  to  come  only 
at  twilight. 

^^ Isn't  it  strange  that  though  every  one  of 
those  trees  is  an  old  friend,  I  should  be  fright- 
ened at  the  very  idea  of  being  alone  among 
them  at  night?  And  yet  there's  nothing  in 
the  dark  that  isn't  in  the  day,"  said  Made- 
line. 

*^0h,  yes,  there  is,"  Dick  rejoined. 
** There's  more  being  afraid  in  the  dark." 

She  laughed  and  they  went  on  in  silence. 

^^ Who's  been  building  a  new  house,  just  on 


74  JEWEL  WEED 

the  very  spot  I  always  meant  to  own  some  day 
— right  here  next  to  your  father?''  Dick  de- 
manded, stopping  abruptly. 

^^Oh,  you  haven't  seen  that,  have  you?" 
said  Madeline.  ^' Let's  sit  down  on  this  log 
and  look  at  the  stars.  That's  Mr.  Lenox's 
new  house;  and  I'm  so  sorry  for  them!" 

<<Why  grieve  for  the  prosperous?  Eeserve 
your  tears  for  the  suffering." 

<^Why,  you  know,  in  town,  they  live  with 
Mr.  Windsor,  who  is  Mrs.  Lenox's  father,  and 
he's  a  multimillionaire;  and  it's  a  great  es- 
tablishment; and  the  world  is  necessarily 
very  much  with  them.  So  when  Mr.  Lenox 
proposed  that  they  should  build  a  country 
house  of  their  own  and  spend  their  summers 
here,  I  think  he  wanted  to  get  out  to  some 
primitive  simplicity,  where  the  children  could 
go  barefoot  if  they  wanted  to.  But  as  soon 
as  it  was  suggested,  Mr.  Windsor  presented 
his  daughter  with  a  big  tract,  and  insisted  on 
building  this  great  palace,  and  they  have  to 
keep  so  many  servants  that  Mr.  Lenox  says 
it  is  a  regular  Swedish  boarding-house.  And 
there  are  so  many  guest-rooms  that  it  would 
be  a  shame  not  to  have  them  occupied;  and 
extra  people  run  out  in  their  motors  every 
day ;  and  the  children  have  to  be  kept  immacu- 


AT  MADELINE'S  75 

late  all  the  time.  So  they've  brought  the 
world  out  with  them.  Mr.  Lenox  has  to  dress 
for  dinner,  instead  of  putting  on  old  slippers 
and  going  out  to  weed  the  strawberry-bed, 
which  is  what  he  would  like  to  do  when  he  gets 
out  on  the  evening  train. ' ' 

^^Poor  things,  in  bondage  to  their  house!'' 
said  Norris,  and  they  all  looked  solemnly  at 
the  multitude  of  lights  shining  through  the 
trees. 

*^  There  are  ever  so  many  disadvantages 
about  being  among  the  few  very  rich  people 
in  a  western  town,  where  most  of  your  friends 
aren't  opulent,"  Madeline  went  on.  ^^When 
Mrs.  Lenox  makes  a  call,  she  has  to  wait  while 
the  woman  changes  her  dress.  And  nobody 
says  to  her,  ^Oh,  do  stay  to  lunch,'  when 
they've  nothing  but  oysters  or  beefsteak, 
but  they  wait  till  they  get  in  an  extra  chef 
and  then  send  her  a  formal  invitation.  I  be- 
lieve ours  is  one  of  the  half-dozen  houses 
where  people  don't  pretend  to  be  something 
quite  different  from  what  they  are  when  Mrs. 
Lenox  appears.  And  yet  she's  the  most  sim- 
ple-minded and  genuine  person,  and  would 
rather  have  beefsteak  and  friendship  than 
pate  de  fois  gras  and  good  gowns  any  day." 

^'Poor  things!"  said  Dick  again. 


76  JEWEL  WEED 

^'I  think  they  are  out  on  the  terrace  now. 
Would  you  like  to  go  over  and  see  them  I" 
Madeline  asked. 

* '  No,  thank  you, ' '  said  Dick  politely.  '  ^  We 
won't  make  their  life  any  more  complicated. 
Besides,  I  prefer  the  society  of  you  and  the 
stars  to  that  of  the  miserable  too-rich.  And 
they  are  not  alone. ' ' 

'^Of  course  not.  They  never  are.  But 
Mrs.  Lenox  said  yesterday  that  late  this  fall, 
when  every  one  else  has  gone  into  winter 
quarters,  she  is  going  to  ask  you  and  me  and 
perhaps  one  or  two  others  to  visit  her;  and 
we  '11  have  a  serene  and  lovely  time. ' ' 

'*Do  you  think  that  there  is  any  hope  that 
they  will  have  lost  part  of  their  money  by  that 
time  ? ' '  asked  Dick. 

^*  Father  says  Mr.  Windsor  has  forgotten 
how  to  lose  money,  and  of  course  Mr.  Wind- 
sor and  Mr.  Lenox  are  all  one." 

*^I  must  see  to  it  that  I  don't  marry  a  mil- 
lionaire's daughter,"  said  Dick. 


CHAPTER  Y: 

SALAD  DAYS 

The  most  desirable  thing  in  life  is  to  have 
the  sense  of  doing  your  duty  without  the  trou- 
ble of  doing  it.  Therefore  days  of  prepara- 
tion are  always  delicious  days.  There  is  the 
mingling  of  repose  with  all  the  joys  of  activi- 
ty. To  be  planning  to  do  things  has  in  it 
more  of  triumph  than  the  actual  doing.  It 
carries  the  irradiating  light  of  hope  and  pur- 
pose, without  the  petty  pin-prick  of  detail 
which  comes  when  reality  parodies  ideals. 

Dick's  first  summer  at  home  was  a  period 
of  delight.  He  absorbed  ideas  and  so  felt 
that  he  was  doing  something  in  this  city  of 
his  birth  which  now,  in  his  manhood,  came 
back  to  him  as  something  new  and  strange. 
The  weeks  drifted  by  and  he  seemed  to  drift 
with  them,  though  both  mind  and  body  were 
alert.  All  the  things  he  learned  and  all  the 
things  he  meant  to  do  were  tripled  and  quad- 
rupled in  interest  when  he  passed  them  on  to 

77 


78  JEWEL  WEED 

his  two  counselors-in-chief,  Norris,  solid  and 
appreciative,  Madeline,  even  more  believing 
and  more  sympathizing,  but  glorified  by  that 
charm  of  sex  which  gilds  even  trifling  contact 
of  man  and  maid,  making  her  friendship  not 
only  gilt  but  gold. 

So  he  spent  his  days  in  prowling  about  and 
meeting  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men,  while 
EUery  slaved  in  a  dirty  and  noisy  office ;  but 
when  Saturday  came  and  the  Star  went  to 
press  at  three,  Norris,  with  the  blissful  know- 
ledge that  there  was  no  Sunday  edition,  would 
meet  Percival,  stocked  with  a  week's  accumu- 
lation of  experiences.  In  the  hearts  of  both 
would  be  deep  rejoicing  as,  at  week-end  after 
week-end,  they  stowed  themselves  in  Dick's 
motor  and  betook  themselves  lakeward,  nom- 
inally to  go  to  the  Country  Club  and  play  golf, 
but  with  the  subconsciousness  for  both  that 
the  lake  meant  Madeline. 

There  were,  to  be  sure,  other  people,  girls 
agreeable,  pretty  and  edifying,  men  of  their 
own  type  and  age,  older  men  who  did  less 
sport  and  more  business,  but  all  of  these  were 
neither  more  nor  less  than  a  many-colored 
background  to  the  little  three-cornered  inti- 
macy which,  as  Dick  said,  ^^was  the  real 
thing." 


SALAD  DATS  79 

It  came  to  be  understood  that  the  three 
should  spend  their  Sunday  afternoons  to- 
gether, not  on  the  cool  piazza,  where  intru- 
sion in  its  myriad  forms  might  come  upon 
them,  but  off  somewhere,  either  on  the  bosom 
of  the  waters  or  on  the  bosom  of  the  good 
green  earth,  who  whispers  her  secret  of  eter- 
nal vitality  to  every  one  that  lays  an  ear  close 
to  her  heart. 

The  season  was  like  the  placid  hour  before 
the  world  wakes  to  its  daily  comedy  and  trag- 
edy ;  and  yet,  with  all  its  superficial  serenity, 
this  summer  carried  certain  undercurrents  of 
emotion  that  hardly  rose  to  the  dignity  of  dis- 
content, but  which,  nevertheless,  troubled  the 
still  waters  of  the  soul.  At  first  Madeline 
half  resented  the  continual  presence  of  Nor- 
ris  at  these  sacred  conclaves.  He  seemed  so 
much  an  outsider.  Dick  she  had  known  all 
her  life  and  she  could  talk  to  him  with  per- 
fect freedom,  but  his  friend  often  sat  silent 
during  their  chatter,  as  though  he  were  an 
onlooker  before  whom  spontaneity  was  im- 
possible. Yet  as  Sunday  after  Sunday  the 
two  young  men  strode  up  together,  she  grew 
to  accept  Ellery.  First  he  became  inoffen- 
sive; then  she  became  aware  that  his  eyes 
spoke  when  his  lips  were  dumb;  and  finally, 


80  JEWEL  WEED 

when  words  did  come,  they  were  the  words 
of  a  friend  who  understood  moods  and  tenses. 
In  some  ways  it  was  a  comfort  to  have  this 
buffer  between  her  and  Dick.  It  helped  to 
prolong  the  period  of  uncertain  certainty. 

Dick  never  spoke  of  love,  but  the  way  was 
pointed  not  only  by  the  easy  restfulness  of 
their  comradeship,  but  in  the  very  atmosphere 
that  surrounded  them.  She*  read  it  half -con- 
sciously in  the  looks  of  father  and  mother  as 
they  met  and  accepted  Dick's  intimacy  in  the 
house,  in  the  warmth  of  Mrs.  PercivaPs  moth- 
erly affection  when  Madeline  ran  in  for  one 
of  her  frequent  calls.  Life  was  full  of  it, 
like  the  gentle  half -warmth  that  comes  before 
the  sun  has  quite  peeped  over  the  horizon  on 
a  summer  morning;  and  it  was  well  that  this 
dawn  to  their  day  should  be  a  long  one. 
Madeline  had  been  away  the  greater  part  of 
four  years,  and  she  was  now  in  no  hurry  to 
cut  short  her  reunion  with  the  old  home  life. 
Dick,  too,  had  his  beginnings  to  make,  man- 
fashion,  and  they  ought  to  be  made  before  he 
took  on  himself  the  full  life  of  a  man.  So 
she  was  happily  content  to  drift,  conscious  in 
a  vague  dreamy  way  that  the  drift  was  in  the 
right  direction,  feeling  the  situation  without 
analyzing  it    It  was  a  condition  of  affairs 


SALAD  DAYS  81 

like  Madeline  herself,  gently  affectionate,  but 
not  passionate  or  deeply  emotional.  She  was 
not  of  the  type  of  women  who  rise  up  and  con- 
trol destiny. 

Norris,  for  all  his  passive  exterior,  had 
undercurrents  that  were  fervid  and  powerful, 
and  this  first  summer  in  the  West,  unruffled 
on  its  surface,  stirred  them  and  sent  his  life 
whirling  along  their  irresistible  streams.  He 
never  lost  the  sense  that  he  was  an  outsider, 
admitted  on  sufferance  to  see  the  happiness 
of  others  and  allowed  to  pick  up  their  crumbs. 
If  hard  work,  oblivion  and  lovelessness  were 
to  be  his  lot,  the  hardest  of  these  was  loveless- 
ness. Much  as  he  loved  Dick  he  continually 
resented  that  young  man's  careless  accept- 
ance of  the  good  things  of  life,  and  most  of  all 
did  his  irritation  grow  at  Percival's  way  of 
taking  Madeline  for  granted,  enjoying  her 
beauty,  her  sympathy,  the  grace  that  she 
threw  over  everything,  and  yet,  thought  El- 
lery,  never  half  appreciating  them.  He  him- 
self bowed  before  them  with  an  adoration  that 
was  framed  in  anguish  because  these  things 
were,  and  were  not  for  him.  More  and  more 
cruel  grew  the  knowledge  that  the  currents 
of  his  life  were  gall  and  wormwood,  flowing 
through  wastes  of  bitterness. 


82  JEWEL  WEED 

Yet,  along  with  the  new  grief  came  a  new 
awakening,  at  first  dimly  felt  by  Madeline 
alone,  then  read  with  greater  and  greater 
elearness. 

But  of  all  undercurrents,  Dick,  prime 
mover  and  chief  talker,  remained  uncon- 
scious, absorbed  in  his  own  dawning  career, 
delighting  in  his  two  friends  chiefly  as  hear- 
ers and  sympathizers  with  his  multitudinous 
ideas. 

So  it  happened  that  one  August  afternoon, 
when  it  was  late  enough  for  the  sun  to  have 
lost  its  fury,  a  not  too  strenuous  breeze  drove 
their  tiny  yacht  through  a  channel  which 
stretched  enticingly  between  a  wooded  island 
and  the  jutting  mainland. 

^^ Let's  land  there,"  Madeline  exclaimed 
suddenly.     ^^It  looks  like  a  jolly  place." 

She  pointed  toward  a  stretch  of  beach 
caught  between  the  arms  of  trees  that  came  to 
the  very  water's  edge,  and  enshrined  in  a  great 
wild  grape-vine  that  had  climbed  from  branch 
to  branch  until  it  made  a  tangled  canopy. 

Dick  turned  sharply  inward  and  ran  their 
prow  into  the  twittering  sand. 

''Thou  speakest  and  it  is  thy  servant's 
place  to  obey,"  he  said. 

''How  does  it  feel  to  keep  slaves?     I've 


SALAD  DAYS  83 

often  wondered,''  EUery  said  as  he  jumped 
ashore  and  Dick  began  tossing  him  rugs  and 
cushions. 

<<Very  comfy,  thank  you,  and  not  at  all  un- 
christian," she  answered  saucily.  ^^Dick, 
don't  throw  the  supper  basket,  under  penalty 
of  liquidating  the  sandwiches.  I  think  there's 
a  freezer  of  ice-cream  under  the  deck,  if  you'll 
pull  it  out.     Now,  are  you  ready  for  me  ? " 

She  stepped  lightly  forward  under  Dick's 
guidance,  took  EUery 's  outstretched  hands 
and  sprang  to  the  shore,  where  a  kind  of 
throne  was  built  for  her  against  a  prostrate 
log, — all  this  help  not  because  it  was  neces- 
sary, but  as  the  appropriate  pomp  of  roy- 
alty. 

^^I  suspect,"  said  Dick,  looking  about  him 
with  great  satisfaction,  'Hhat  this  was  a  fa- 
vorite picnic  place  for  Gitche  Manito  and 
Hiawatha,  in  the  morning  of  days." 

^^That  shows  how  nature  can  forget,"  Mad- 
eline retorted.  ^^  Surely  you  know  the  real 
story,  Dick." 

^  ^  I  don 't, ' '  said  EUery.    ' '  TeU  it  to  me. ' ' 

She  snuggled  comfortably  down  into  her 
rugs. 

*^In  early  days,  which  is  the  western  equiv- 
alent for  *once  upon  a  time,'  a  furious  storm 


84  JEWEL  WEED 

raged  down  the  lake  and  tore  the  water  into 
long  ribbons  of  purple  and  green.  A  beauti- 
ful girl  stood,  perhaps  on  this  very  spot,  with 
a  savage  who  had  rescued  her  from  a  sinking 
canoe  and  brought  her  here,  dripping  but 
safe.  Over  there  on  the  mainland  her  father 
came  running  out  of  the  woods  in  an  agony 
of  fear.  He  saw  her  here,  saw  her  signals, 
but  the  shriek  of  the  storm  and  the  roar  of  the 
waters  drowned  out  the  words  that  she 
frantically  screamed  toward  him.  He  saw 
her  point  to  the  Indian,  who  was  always 
feared,  always  counted  treacherous,  and  his 
dread  of  the  hurricane  changed  to  terror  of 
the  savage.  He  raised  his  rifle  and  the  girl's 
deliverer  dropped  dead  at  her  feet." 

'  *  Then  fifty  years  went  by,  and  this  became 
a  bower  for  the  eating  of  sandwiches, ' '  added 
Dick. 

Norris  was  lying  on  his  back  and  staring 
through  the  tangle  of  grape  and  maple  leaves 
at  the  flecks  of  blue  beyond. 

^^ That's  a  noble  story,"  he  said.  ^^  I 
didn't  suppose  this  new  land  had  any  legends. 
It  all  gives  me  the  impression  of  being  just 
old  enough  to  be  big." 

^^ Isn't  that  the  conceit  of  the  Anglo-Saxon? 
He  calls  this  a  new  land  because  he's  lived 


SALAD  DAYS  85 

here  only  about  a  half-century.  Things  did 
happen  before  you  were  born,  my  dear  boy," 
said  Dick. 

^ '  Indeed !  What  things  ? ' '  Norris  asked  pla- 
cidly. 

' '  Suppose  you  enlarge  your  mind  by  look- 
ing up  the  stories  of  the  old  coureurs  du  hois 
who  used  to  stumble  through  these  woods 
when  they  were  the  border-land  between 
Chippewa  and  Sioux. ' '  Dick  threw  a  pebble 
at  Norris '  face.  ' '  Suppose  you  go  up  to  that 
inky  stream  in  the  north,  which  twists  mys- 
teriously through  the  forests,  black  with  the 
bodies  of  dead  men  rotting  in  its  mire.  I 
don't  wonder  they  thought  the  rough  life 
more  fascinating  than  kings  and  courts.  I'd 
like  to  have  seen  sun-dances  and  maiden- 
tests;  I'd  like  to  have  eaten  food  strange 
enough  to  be  picturesque,  and  to  have  found 
new  streams  and  traced  them  to  their  sources, 
and  to  have  come  unexpectedly  on  new  lakes, 
like  amethysts.  It's  as  much  fun  to  discover 
as  to  indent.  And  then  the  Jesuit  fathers, 
half -tramp,  half -martyr, — they  were  great  old 
fellows." 

^^And  the  Frenchman — ^where  is  he?"  said 
Madeline.  ^^Gone,  and  left  a  few  names  for 
the    Swede   and  the  American   to   mispro- 


86  JEWEL  WEED 

nounce;  but  you  may  come  down  later,  Mr. 
Norris,  and  find  how  law  and  order,  in  our 
own  people,  fought  with  savagery  out  here  on 
the  frontier.    It's  a  thrilling  story." 

^'You  love  it  all  and  its  legends,  don't 
you  ? ' '  EUery  looked  from  one  to  the  other. 

'^ Don't  you?"  Madeline  asked. 

^^By  Jove,  I  do!"  he  cried,  sitting  sud- 
denly upright  as  though  stirred  with  genuine 
feeling.  ''I  love  it  without  its  legends.  It 
does  not  seem  to  me  to  have  any  past.  It  is 
all  future.     It  makes  me  feel  all  future,  too." 

^^Do  you  know  what's  happened  to  you?" 
Dick  laughed  exultantly.  '^Gitche  Manito 
the  Mighty  has  got  you — the  spirit  of  the 
AVest — which,  being  interpreted,  is  Ozone." 

^^ Something  has  got  me,  I  admit,"  Norris 
cried.  *^What  is  it?  What  is  it  that  makes 
the  sky  so  dazzling?  What  is  it  that  makes 
the  leaves  fairly  radiate  light?  What  is  it 
that,  every  time  you  take  a  breath,  makes  the 
air  freshen  you  down  to  your  toes?  I  feel 
younger  than  I  ever  did  before  in  all  my 
life." 

The  other  two  were  looking  at  him. 

^^Well,  our  height  above  the  sea-level — ^^ 
Dick  began. 

'  ^  Oh,  rot ! "  EUery  exclaimed.    *  ^  It 's  some- 


SALAD  DAYS  87 

thing  more  than  air — it's  atmosphere.  You 
feel  here  that  it's  glorious  to  work." 

^^You  make  me  proud  of  you,  old  boy.'' 

^^It's  funny  how  universally  you  fellows 
call  me  ^old  boy'.  I  suppose  I  was  older  than 
the  rest  of  you.  I  had  to  take  the  respon- 
sibility for  my  own  life  too  soon  and  it  took 
out  of  me  that  assurance  that  most  of  you 
had — that  complacent  confidence  that  things 
would  somehow  manage  themselves.  But 
I'm  getting  even  now.  I'm  appreciating  be- 
ing young,  which  most  men  don't." 

^* Bully  for  you!"  Dick  cried.  ^^If  you 
couldn't  be  born  a  Westerner,  you  are  born 
again  one.  I  am  moved  to  tell  you  something 
that  gave  me  a  small  glow  yesterday.  I  met 
Lewis — the  editor  of  the  Star,  you  know, 
Madeline — and  he  insisted  on  stopping  me 
and  congratulating  me  on  having  brought  Mr. 
Norris  to  St.  Etienne;  said  he  was  irritated 
at  first  by  having  a  man  forced  on  him  by 
influence,  when  there  was  really  no  particular 
place  for  him,  but,  he  went  on,  ^Mr.  Norris 
is  rapidly  making  his  own  place.  We  think 
him  a  real  acquisition.'  " 

^^Oh,  pooh!"  Norris  lapsed  sulkily  into 
his  usual  quiet  manner.  ^^Of  course  I  can 
write  better  than  I  can  talk.     My  thoughts 


88  JEWEL  WEED 


are  just  slow  enough,  I  guess,  to  keep  up  with 
a  pen. ' ' 

Dick  laughed  softly;  as  though  he  were 
pleased  at  things  he  did  not  tell.  Madeline, 
for  the  first  time,  gave  her  real  attention  to 
Mr.  Norris,  whom  she  had  not  hitherto 
thought  worth  dwelling  on — at  least  when 
Dick  was  about.  Never  before  had  this 
young  man  talked  about  himself. 
A  silence  fell. 

'*Was  that  a  wood-thrush?"  Norris  asked, 
manifestly  grasping  at  a  change  of  subject. 

*'I    don't    know,    and   I    don't   intend   to 
know,"  Madeline  cried,  with  such  unusual 
viciousness  that  the  two  men  stared.     ^'Poor 
birds!"    she    said.     '^I've    nothing   against 
them,  but  I'm  in  rebellion  against  the  bird 
fad.    I'm  so   tired  of  meeting  people   and 
having  them  start  in  with  a  gushing,  ^Oh, 
how-de-do!     Only  fancy,  I  have  just  seen  a 
scarlet  tanager !'  and  you  know  they  haven't, 
and  they  wouldn't  care  anyway,  and  their 
mother  may  be  dying. ' ' 
Ellery  laughed,  and  Dick  said : 
^^Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?" 
^'I'm  going  to  invent  a  fad  of  my  own." 
'^Let  us  in  on  the  ground  floor." 
^  *  If  you  like.    I  'm  learning  the  notes  of  the 


SALAD  DAYS  89 

wind  in  the  tree-tops.  It  lias  such  variety! 
No  two  trees  sound  alike.  Hear  that  sharp 
twitter  of  the  maples?  The  oak  has  a  deep 
sonorous  song,  and  the  elm's  is  as  delicate 
as  itself.  I  believe  I  could  tell  them  all  with 
my  eyes  shut." 

^'One  breeze  with  infinite  manifestations. 
I  suppose  our  souls  twist  the  breath  of  the 
spirit  to  our  own  likenesses  in  the  same  way," 
EUery  said. 

Madeline  looked  at  him  and  he  smiled. 

^*  You're  getting  poetical,  old  codger,"  said 
Dick.  '^You  must  be  in  love."  EUery 
blushed,  but  Dick  went  on,  oblivious  of  by- 
play. ^ '  I  move  that  we  celebrate  the  occasion 
by  a  cold  collation.  Last  week,  your  mother 
kindly  made  inquiries  about  my  tastes  that 
led  me  to  infer  that  everything  I  most  affect 
is  stowed  away  in  that  comfortable-look- 
ing basket." 

So  they  had  supper,  and  Norris  fished  a 
volume  of  Shelley  from  his  pocket  and  read 
The  Cloud,  which  Dick  followed  by  a  really 
funny  story  from  a  magazine.  They  fell  to 
talking  about  their  own  affairs,  which  to  the 
young  are  the  chief  interests.  It  takes  years 
^^that  bring  the  philosophic  mind"  to  make 
abstractions  stimulating.     Finally  they  waft- 


90  JEWEL  WEED 

ed  homeward  under  a  sky  dark  at  the  zenith 
and  becoming  paler  and  paler,  violet,  rose, 
wan  white,  with  a  line  of  intense  violet  along 
the  horizon,  and,  as  they  sailed,  Madeline 
sang  softly  as  one  does  in  the  immediate 
presence  of  nature. 

This  was  one  day.  On  another  Dick  was 
full  of  his  adventures  of  the  week.  He  was 
learning  to  know  his  St.  Etienne  in  all  its 
phases.  He  told  them  of  the  lumber  mills 
down  by  the  river,  where  brawny  men,  prim- 
itive in  aspect,  fought  with  a  never-ending 
stream  of  logs  which  came  down  with  the 
current  and  raised  themselves  like  uncannv 
water-monsters,  up  a  long  incline,  finally  to 
meet  their  death  at  the  hands  of  machinery 
that  ripped  and  snarled  and  clutched.  Who 
would  dream,  to  look  at  the  great  common- 
place piles  of  boards  that  lined  the  river- 
bank  for  miles,  that  their  birth-pangs  had 
been  so  picturesque? 

Or  again,  Dick  told  them  of  those  other 
mills,  which  were  the  chief  foundation  of 
St.  Etienne 's  wealth,  piles  of  gray  stone, 
for  ever  dust-laden  and  dingy,  into  which 
poured  a  never-ending  stream  of  grain,  and 
out  of  which  poured  an  equally  unceasing 
stream  of  bags  and  barrels  laden  with  flour. 


SALAD  DAYS  91 

Around  the  wide  interiors  wandered  a  few 
men,  gray  too,  who  peeped  now  and  then  into 
caverns  where  hidden  machinery  did  all  the 
work.  Outside,  locomotives  whistled  and 
puffed  and  snorted,  as  they  switched  the 
miles  of  cars  to  and  from  the  mills.  Grreat 
vans  rolled  up  with  their  burdens  of  fresh 
empty  barrels  to  be  filled  and  rolled  away 
again. 

It  was  the  commonplace  of  daily  toil,  but 
Dick  made  it  vivid,  because  it  was  in  him  to 
see  all  things  as  the  work  of  men,  and  when- 
ever you  catch  them  doing  real  work,  men 
are  interesting. 

Sometimes  Dick  had  other  stories  to  tell. 
In  his  collegiate  days,  he  had  grown  familiar 
with  the  typical  slum  and  its  problems.  The 
class  in  sociology  had  visited  such.  So  he 
went  to  the  slums  of  St.  Etienne,  and  be- 
hold, they  were  not  slums  at  all,  for  the  slum 
can  not  be  grown,  like  a  mushroom,  in  a 
night.  It  must  have  a  thousand  nauseous  in- 
fluences stagnating  for  a  long  time  undis- 
turbed. But  here  were  meager  little  wooden 
huts,  flanked  by  rusting  piles  of  scrap-iron, 
or  flats  along  the  river-bottom  where  the 
high  waters  of  spring  were  sure  to  send  the 
dwellers  in  these  shabby  apologies  for  homes 


92  JEWEL  WEED 

scrambling  to  the  roofs,  or  drive  them  to  the 
shelter  of  the  neighboring  brewery.  Here 
as  the  waters  swept  under  the  stony  arches 
of  the  bridges,  old  women  tucked  up  their 
petticoats  and  fished  for  the  richness  with 
which  a  city  befouls  its  river.  Here  they 
made  themselves  neat  woodpiles  of  the  drift 
of  the  sawmills,  and  turned  an  honest  penny 
by  exhibiting  on  their  roofs  gaudy  advertise- 
ments of  plug-tobacco,  that  those  who  passed 
on  th^  bridge  above  might  look  down  and 
read  and  resolve  to  avoid  the  brand  thus 
obnoxiously  glorified. 

Sometimes  Dick  had  to  relate  a  picturesque 
interview  with  a  policeman  who  unfolded  to 
him  unknown  phases  of  life,  for  though  he 
believed  in  himself,  Percival  also  believed  in 
the  other  man,  and  therefore  made  him  a 
friend.  Every  one  likes  a  jolly  friendly 
prince,  and  that  was  Dick's  type. 

Or  he  would  dip  into  a  police  court  where 
all  the  stages  of  wretchedness  were  pitch- 
forked into  one  another's  evil-smelling  com- 
pany, so  that  it  ranged  from  the  highest 
circle  of  purgatory  to  the  lowest  depths  of 
hell. 

**Why  do  you  go  to  such  places,  Dick?  It's 
nauseating,"  Madeline  exclaimed. 


SALAD  DAYS  93 

^^Why?"  he  demanded.  ^^I  suppose  that 
sometime,  when  I've  made  over  my  informa- 
tion into  the  neat  systematic  package  that 
you  prefer,  I  shall  start  a  soul-uplifting  row. 
I  look  forward  to  that  as  my  career.  You 
ought  to  get  a  career,  Madeline.'' 

^^A  career?  I  know  the  verb,  but  not  the 
noun,"  she  retorted  saucily.  **I'm  afraid 
mine  is  nothing  but  the  trivial  task,  flavored 
with  all  the  flavors  I  like  best." 

Sometimes,  when  they  went  home  together 
at  night,  Percival  had  stories  to  unfold  to 
Norris  alone — stories  he  could  not  tell  Made- 
line, of  things  found  in  the  mire,  upon  which 
the  healthy  happy  world  turns  its  back  when 
every  night  it  goes  ^^up  town"  to  pleasant 
hearthstones  and  to  normal  life.  These 
were  tales  of  foul  sounds  and  foul  air,  where 
men  and  women  gathered  and  drank  and 
gambled  and  laughed  with  laughter  that  was 
like  the  grinning  of  skulls,  hollow  and  des- 
pairing. They  were  stories  of  girls  with 
sodden  eyes  and  men  with  wooden  faces — 
of  innumerable  schemes  to  suck  money  by  any 
means  but  those  of  honor.  And  these  were 
the  phases  of  his  study  that  Dick  looked 
upon  with  a  kind  of  anguished  fascination, 
as  more  and  more  he  saw  how  the  hands 


94  JEWEL  WEED 

stretched  out  of  that  mire  smirched  the  city 
which  he  hoped  to  serve. 

Sometimes,  and  this  was  when  they  were 
with  Madeline  again,  Ellery  would  have  his 
experience  to  tell,  redolent  of  printer's  ink, 
and  full  of  the  interest  of  that  profession 
which  is  never  two  days  the  same — stories 
of  how  business  toils  and  spins  and  is  not 
arrayed  like  Solomon.  Norris,  too,  was  be- 
ginning to  run  up  against  human  nature  both 
in  gross  and  in  detail,  and  to  know  the  world, 
from  the  fight  last  night  in  Fish  Alley  up  to 
the  doings  of  statesmen  and  kings.  Made- 
line had  little  to  tell,  for  she  was  living 
quietly  at  home,  taking  the  housekeeping  off 
her  mother's  hands  and  driving  her  father 
to  the  morning  train.  She  had  few  episodes 
more  exciting  than  an  afternoon  call  or  a 
moonlight  sail.  But  the  young  men  brought 
her  their  lives,  and  when  she  had  made  her 
gay  little  bombardment  of  comment,  they 
felt  as  though  some  new  light  had  fallen  upon 
familiar  facts.  The  very  simplicity  of  her 
thought  put  things  in  the  right  relation  and 
gave  the  effect  of  a  view  from  a  higher  plane. 

There  were  many  times  when  they  did  not 
discuss,  but  gave  themselves  to  the  joy  of 
young  things.     They  sailed,  and  Madeline 


SALAD  DAYS  95 

held  the  tiller;  and,  when  evening  came  on, 
they  curled  down  with  cushions  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  boat  and  sang  and  chattered  the 
twilight  out.  They  played  golf  and  tennis, 
and  the  blood  leaped  in  their  veins,  for  what- 
ever they  did,  they  did  it  with  heart  and 
soul.  As  for  their  relations  with  one  an- 
other, these  were  taken  for  granted,  and  what 
they  meant,  not  one  of  the  three  stopped  to 
question.  It  was  enough  that  they  were 
sweet  and  satisfying  in  silence. 

Late  in  the  season  there  came  a  Sunday, 
memorable  to  EUery,  when  Dick  had  gone 
away  for  some  purpose,  and,  after  a  little 
self-questioning,  Norris  ventured  alone  for 
his  afternoon  with  Madeline.  She  welcomed 
him  with  such  serene  unconsciousness  that  he 
wondered  why  he  had  hesitated. 

^*I'm  not  so  good  a  sailor  as  Dick,  Miss 
Elton,"  he  said.  ^'Will  you  trust  yourself 
with  me?" 

^^ Being  an  independent  young  woman,  I'm 
willing  to  depend  on  you." 

*^A  truly  feminine  position." 

^^It  means  that  I  am  quite  capable  of 
seizing  the  helm  myself  if  you  should  fail 
me,"  she  laughed. 

^' And  I  am  masculine  enough  to  determine 


96  JEWEL  WEED 

that  you  shall  get  it  only  by  favor,  not  by 
necessity,"  he  retorted. 

^^That  suits  me  quite  well,"  Madeline  an- 
swered gravely. 

'^And  you  are  not  apprehensive  of  storms 
in  the  vague  far-away?" 

^' Don't.  I'm  so  contented  with  things  as 
they  are  that  I  do  not  want  to  think  of  far- 
aways or  of  anything  that  means  change." 

^^You  are  satisfied  with  to-day?"  he  per- 
sisted. 

^^  Perfectly." 

Ellery  flushed  with  traitorous  rejoicing  that 
Dick  was  absent.  It  was  a  day  of  sunshine 
— not  the  ardent  blaze  of  summer,  but  the 
crisp  glow  of  October  that  seems  all  light 
with  little  heat.  The  lake  was  so  pale  as  to 
be  hardly  blue,  and  girdled  with  soft  yellow, 
touched  only  here  and  there  with  the  intenser 
red  of  the  rock  maples.  Back  farther  from 
shore  rose  the  tawny  bronze  of  oaks.  The 
light  breeze  flung  the  Swallow  along  with 
those  caressing  wave-slaps  that  are  the 
sleepiest  of  sounds. 

To  sail  under  that  sky,  with  Madeline  lean- 
ing on  her  elbow  near  at  hand,  they  two  sepa- 
rated from  the  rest  of  the  world  by  wide 
waters,  was  like  a  brief  experience  of  Para- 


SALAD  DAYS  97 

dise.  EUery  watched  the  light  tendril  of  hair 
that  touched  her  cheek,  lifted  itself  and 
touched  again,  near  that  lovely  curve  above 
her  ear.  The  cheek  was  warm  and  creamy 
but  untouched  by  deeper  color.  He  fell  into 
that  mood  of  blessed  silence  that,  as  a  rule, 
comes  only  when  one  is  solitary. 

As  they  rounded  at  the  dock  he  came  back 
to  himself  with  a  sudden  wonder  if  she  had 
missed  the  titillation  of  Dick's  chatter,  for 
she  had  been  as  silent  as  he. 

*^I'm  afraid  I  have  been  veiy  dull.  I  en- 
joyed myself  so  much  that  I  forgot  to  try  to 
amuse  you." 

^^It's  been  a  heavenly  sail,  exactly  to  match 
the  day,"  Madeline  answered  with  a  deep 
contented  sigh  that  filled  him  with  delight. 
'*I  was  this  moment  thinking  what  a  comfort 
it  was  to  know  you  well  enough  so  that  I 
didn't  have  to  talk.  It's  a  test  of  comrade- 
ship, isn't  it?" 

As  they  smiled  at  each  other,  his  heart 
leaped  with  the  consciousness  of  a  bond  be- 
low the  surface. 

He  treasured  this  crumb  of  her  kindness, 
not  because  she  was  niggardly,  but  because 
there  was  little  that  belonged  to  him  and  to 
him  alone.     Sometimes,  in  the  rush  and  roar 


98  JEWEL  WEED 

of  the  office,  came  the  memory  of  her  eyes  and 
her  voice  of  assurance. 

'^What  will  our  comradeship  be  like,  when 
— ^when  she  is  Dick's  wife?"  he  questioned 
himself,  and  then  fell  to  work  with  fury. 

Thus  the  delightful  summer  died  into  the 
past ;  there  came  a  winter  only  less  good,  with 
its  dinners  and  dances,  with  quiet  fireside 
evenings,  and  yet  another  summer  of  the  same 
close  friendship  that  began  to  take  on  the 
semblance  of  a  permanent  thing  in  life,  all 
the  richer  as  experience  grew  deeper  and 
knowledge  wider  and  the  best  things  dearer. 

Whether  they  read  or  sang  or  discussed, 
though  the  world  saw  little  done,  these  three 
young  people  had  the  inestimable  happiness 
of  knowing  one  another. 


CHAPTER  VI 

JEWEL   WEED 

Along  the  wide  straight  street  of  the  city 
surged  the  usual  shopping  crowd.  Largely 
petticoated  was  it,  for  o 'daytimes  man  must 
be  busy  at  his  office  that  woman  may  have 
this  privilege  of  going  shopping.  Surely 
there  is  no  other  stream  in  the  wide  world 
that  is  so  monotonous  as  this  human  never- 
ending  current.  The  same  types,  the  same 
clothes,  the  same  subjects  of  conversation  in 
the  fragments  that  catch  the  ear.  And  sel- 
dom does  one  see  a  face  that  looks  even 
cheerful,  much  less  happy, — all  intent  on 
matching  ribbons. 

**The  world  is  too  much  with  us;  late  and 
soon ; 
Getting  and  spending  we  lay  waste  our 


powers. 


>> 


Thus  might  they  cry  aloud,  if  they  were 
condemned  to  proclaim  their  sins,  like  the 

99 


100  JEWEL  WEED 

long  banner  of  bat-like  souls  that  Dante  saw 
passing  in  similar  fashion  beneath  his  eye. 

And  yet,  in  spite  of  its  monotony,  humanity 
is  perennially  interesting  to  itself.  There- 
fore among  the  strenuous,  the  hurrying,  and 
the  anxious-eyed,  one  girl  loitered  on  dila- 
tory foot  from  wide  window  to  wide  win- 
dow. 

^^Girl"  seems  an  inadequate  word  to  des- 
cribe Lena  Quincy.  It  may  be  applied  to 
any  youthful  feminine  person,  and  Lena,  in 
spite  of  her  carefully-groomed  shabbiness, 
was  by  no  means  one  of  the  herd.  She  af- 
fected one  like  a  bit  of  Tiffany  glass,  shim- 
mering, iridescent,  ethereal ;  and  no  ugliness 
in  her  surroundings  could  take  away  that 
impression. 

Every  one  who  looked  at  her  at  all  looked 
twice.  She  had  grown  so  used  to  this  tribute 
that  it  hardly  affected  her  unless  it  came  from 
one  who  merited  her  interest  in  return. 

Now  she  was  wandering  from  one  to  an- 
other of  the  ladies  with  the  waxen  faces,  the 
waxen  hands  and  the  wooden  hearts,  who 
gazed  back  unmoved  from  behind  their  plate- 
glass  ;  though  it  was  not  the  fixed  and  amiable 
smiles  of  the  lay-figures  that  caught  her  at- 
tention, but  rather  the  curious  way  in  which 


11 


-'S 


\  ;'K. 


»     -       •     l3 


/'^:;,   ; 


* » 


''  You  look  like  incarnate  song ''  Page  jog 


JEWEL  WEED  .lOi 

this  one's  braid  was  laid  on  the  gown,  or  the 
new  device  in  buttons,  there  beyond. 

Now  she  turned  and  studied  the  human 
flux  in  front.  She  was  not  shopping,  save 
in  sweet  imagination.  This  was  her  theater, 
and  she  was  fain  to  make  the  show  last  as 
long  as  possible.  Her  absorbent  gaze  saw 
everything.  Yet  it  was  selective  too,  for  it 
passed  swiftly  over  the  chaff  of  the  shabby 
and  fixed  itself  on  the  wheat  of  the  properly 
gowned.  Sometimes  she  wove  romances 
about  her  swiftly-disappearing  actors,  ro- 
mances not  of  heart  and  soul  but  of  garments, 
of  splendors  and  of  money ;  but  even  such  en- 
trancing tissues  of  her  brain  vanished  like 
pricked  soap-bubbles  when  there  passed  in 
the  body  one  of  those  select  few  whose  skirts 
proclaimed  perfection.  Could  dreams  stand 
against  reality?  Yet  the  dreams  were  bliss- 
ful, though,  when  they  were  gone,  the  girl 
was  left  steeped  in  the  bitterness  of  envy. 

It  is  said  that  there  is  a  consolation  in  be- 
ing well-dressed  that  religion  itself  can  not 
afford.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  there  is 
also  the  pharisaism  which  always  forms  a 
hard  shell  about  every  kernel  of  religion ;  and 
the  Pharisaism  of  the  correct  costume  is  the 
most  complacent  of  all  forms  of  self-right- 


,  J  h'i  i:ao2' : •  :■         jewel  weed 

eonsness.  Lena's  lips  grew  positively  pale  as 
she  saw  it  pass,  drawing  its  rustling  petti- 
coats close  to  its  side.  She  hungered  and 
thirsted  for  this  form  of  righteousness. 

It  was  early  April,  and  there  was  a  savage 
nip  in  the  air,  for  Winter  shook  his  fist  at 
the  world  long  after  he  dared  to  come  out  of 
his  lair.  Spring  refused  to  sit  in  his  lap  for 
more  than  an  instant,  hut  leaped  from  that 
affectionate  position,  ashamed  of  her  inti- 
macy with  the  hoary  sinner,  and  the  buds 
swelled  slowly  and  swelled  exceeding  small. 

Other  women  hurried,  but  Lena  did  not 
feel  the  cold  except  when  she  saw  a  set  of 
magnificent  Eussian  sables  with  a  cordial  in- 
vitation to  ^^Buy  now".  Her  eyes  suddenly 
filled  with  tears  at  her  own  impotence.  Why 
had  God  created  her  such  as  she  was  and  then 
denied  her  the  perquisites  of  her  desires? 
It  was  as  though  nature  should  make  the 
heart  of  a  rose  and  should  leave  off  all  the 
out-shaken  wealth  of  petals,  whose  reflected 
lights  and  shadows  make  the  flower's  heart 
lovely. 

With  the  mist  clearing  from  her  eyes  Lena 

walked  onward  to  the  next  big  sheet  of  glass, 

and  looked  through  a  wealth  of  Easter  hats 

'  and  bonnets  at  the  mirror  that  was  meant  to 


JEWEL  WEED  103 

manifold  their  charms.  She  did  not  see  the 
millinery,  but  there  was  comfort  in  the  really 
good  glass,  not  like  her  parody  at  home  which 
cast  a  pale  green  tinge  over  a  distorted  im- 
age. 

On  Lena  nature  had  really  spent  herself. 
The  very  texture  of  her  skin  made  the  fingers 
itch  to  caress  its  transparent  delicacy  that 
let  through  a  tender  flush.  Every  curve  of 
her  body  suggested  hidden  beauty,  and  the 
way  she  turned  her  head  on  her  shoulders  left 
one  feeling  how  music  and  painting  fall  short 
of  expressing  the  loveliest  loveliness.  But, 
having  accomplished  a  miracle,  fate  had  left 
it  without  a  meaning  and  thrown  it  on  an 
ash  heap.  No  wonder  that  it  resented  its 
position. 

Every  man  who  passed  Lena  on  the  street 
looked  at  her;  some  of  them  spoke  to  her;  but 
she  was  possessed  of  a  self-respect  that  kept 
her  from  responding  to  such  overtures.  She 
prided  herself  on  her  virtue.  Certain  it  was 
that  the  admiration  of  the  other  sex  never 
set  her  vibrating  with  delicate  emotions, 
never  increased  by  a  single  beat  the  pulses 
of  her  heart,  except  when  it  suggested  some 
definite  benefit  to  herself.  With  reason, 
Lena  congratulated  herself  on  her  firm  re- 


104  JEWEL  WEED 

sistence  to  the  many-formed  temptations  that 
come  to  beauty  housed  with  poverty. 

Now,  as  she  looked  in  the  milliner's  glass, 
she  saw  her  own  face,  rose-like  and  delicate. 
She  saw  the  great  violet  eyes,  so  innocent 
that  they  almost  persuaded  herself,  as  they 
did  others,  that  some  creature  more  celestial 
than  ordinary  humanity  wondered  from  be- 
hind them  at  the  world.  She  saw  the  fair 
soft  curls  that  clung  about  her  forehead,  and 
the  sight  of  these  things  gave  a  momentary 
peace  to  her  soul.  Then  she  surveyed  the 
dingy  felt  hat  that  rested  brutally  on  the 
silken  wonder  of  her  hair,  and  rebellion  rose 
again. 

^^ It's  a  comfort  that  my  collar  fits  so  well," 
she  reassured  herself.  ^^  After  all,  there  is 
nothing  more  important  than  a  collar.  I 
don't  look  in  the  least  'common'." 

Among  the  hats  stood  a  photograph  of  a 
popular  actress,  pert  and  pretty.  The  sight 
of  it  sent  Lena's  thoughts  afield  into  new 
wastes  of  bitterness. 

The  idea  of  the  stage  had  once  come  to  her 
like  an  inspiration.  Nothing  could  be  more 
easy  and  natural  to  her  than  to  act ;  nothing 
more  delectable  than  the  tribute  paid  to  the 
star.    Money,  flowing  gowns,  footlights,  tu- 


JEWEL  WEED  105 

mults  of  applause  had  seemed  inevitable. 
Lena  shivered  now,  with  something  else  than 
cold  inside  her  flimsy  jacket,  as  she  remem- 
bered the  crumbling  of  her  dream.  She  saw 
again  the  fat  man  with  the  sensual  mouth 
who  had  given  her  a  job;  and  felt  again  her 
tingling  resentment  when  she  found  how 
small  the  part  was,  and  how  poorly  paid. 
She  remembered  how  she  had  held  herself 
aloof  from  the  other  girls,  who,  like  herself, 
had  trivial  parts,  and  how  they  had  snubbed 
her  in  return;  how  even  the  little  that  she 
did  was  made  ridiculous  through  the  trick  of 
a  hook-nosed,  gum-chewing  rival,  and  how  the 
first  audience  that  she  faced  had  tittered  at 
her  stumble.  A  wave  of  heat  succeeded  the 
shiver  at  this  point  in  her  remembrance. 
Then  she  recalled  her  impertinent  answer 
to  the  vituperation  of  the  manager,  and  how 
he  had  sworn  at  her  for  a  damned  minx,  who 
thought  herself  a  professional  beauty. 

** Vulgar!  Vulgar!  Vulgar!"  she  said  to 
herself  in  impotent  anger.  She  wished  they 
could  all  know  how  she  despised  them.  For 
she  could  act!  She  was  still  sure  that  she 
could  play  any  part — except  that  of  patient 
endurance.  Yet,  so  far,  hardship  was  all 
that  life  had  offered  her.     A  chance!     That 


106  JEWEL  WEED 

was  it.  So  far,  she  had  never  had  a  ghost  of 
a  chance.  Would  fate — or  luck — or  Provi- 
dence— or  whatever  it  is  that  rules,  never 
give  her  a  turn  of  the  wheel? 

Next  to  the  art  of  the  milliner  was  dis- 
played the  art,  less  interesting  to  Lena,  of 
the  brush.  Before  the  picture  store  a  span 
of  horses  shook  their  jingling  harness,  and 
a  brightly-buttoned  coachman  waited,  with 
impassive  face  turned  steadily  to  the  front. 
There  came  from  the  doorway  a  girl  who  was 
lifted  above  the  pharisaism  of  clothes  into 
the  purer  ether.  She  was  calm-eyed  and 
well-poised,  and  Lena  hated  her  for  the  rest 
of  her  life  for  her  obliviousness  of  the  sordid. 
Behind  her  walked  a  young  man  who  now 
opened  the  carriage  door  and  lingered  a  mo- 
ment and  laughed  as  he  talked  with  the  girl 
who  had  taken  her  seat.  Lena  involuntarily 
drew  her  feet  closer  beneath  her  skirts  that 
no  careless  glance  of  that  girl  should  fall 
upon  their  shabbiness.  She  looked  at  the 
man  as  she  looked  at  the  Eussian  sables. 
He  was  a  type  of  that  delectable  world  from 
which  she  was  shut  out. 

^*I  should  be  ashamed  to  be  silly  about 
fellows,  the  way  some  girls  are,"  was  her  in- 
ward comment.     ^^But  I'd  just  like  to  have 


JEWEL  WEED  107 

people  see  me  with  a  thing  like  that  dangling 
around  me.  And  I  shall,  some  time.  I'm  a 
whole  heap  prettier  than  she  is." 

The  carriage  door  shut  abruptly.  Lena's 
too  thin  boots,  out  of  plumb,  suddenly  slipped 
on  a  half-formed  piece  of  ice.  She  made  a 
desperate  grab  at  the  smooth  surface  of  the 
window  and  then  came  ignominiously  down 
— not  wholly  ignominiously,  however,  since 
her  accident  brought  to  her  aid  the  man  who 
was  a  type. 

She  didn't  have  to  stop  to  consider  that 
the  man  would  notice  neither  her  hat  nor  her 
boots.  She  knew  it  instinctively  and  in- 
stantly. But  the  rose-petal  face  and  the  big 
eyes  were  overwhelmingly  present  to  her  con- 
sciousness. She  saw  them  reflected  in  the 
look  on  his  face  as  he  bent  over  her. 

^^I  hope  you're  not  hurt." 

^^Not  in  the  least.  Only  humiliated." 
Lena  smiled,  because  people  are  always  at- 
tracted by  cheerfulness. 

^^You  are  sure  you  have  not  twisted  your 
ankle?"  he  insisted. 

^^ Nothing  but  my  hat  and  my  hair,"  she 
pouted.  ^*  Thank  you  for  coming  to  my  res- 
cue." 

*^It  wasn't  much  of  a  rescue,"  he  said. 


108  JEWEL  WEED 

^^Are  you  sorry  I  didn't  have  a  tragedy 
and  give  you  a  chance  to  play  hero  ? ' '  she  in- 
quired naively. 

^^When  you  are  in  need,  may  I  be  the  one 
to  help?"  he  said  with  growing  boldness. 

Lena  flushed  and  nodded  as  he  lifted  his 
hat  and  was  gone.  She  walked  slowly  home- 
ward, actually  forgetting  to  stop  at  her  fa- 
vorite window  in  the  lace  store,  so  occupied 
was  she  with  the  latest  story  she  was  telling 
herself.  It  was  a  story  in  which  a  large 
house  with  soft  rugs  and  becoming  pink  lights 
occupied  the  foreground,  and  somewhere  in 
the  background  hovered  a  man  who  was  a 
type  and  who  loved  to  spend  money  on  dia- 
monds. The  vision  was  so  lovable  that  she 
lived  with  it  all  the  way,  even  through  the 
narrow  entrance  of  the  lodging-house  and  up 
the  narrow  stairs,  saturated  with  obsolete 
smells — smells  of  dead  dinners — to  the  very 
instant  when  she  opened  the  upper  door  and 
faced  bald  reality  and  her  mother.  Mrs. 
Quincy  sat  by  the  window  in  a  room  on  the 
walls  of  which  the  word  ** shabby"  was  writ- 
ten in  a  handwriting  as  plain,  and  in  language 
far  simpler  than  ever  Belshazzar  saw  on  the 
walls  of  Babylon.  It  fairly  cried  itself  from 
the  big-figured  paper,  peeling  along  its  edges ; 


JEWEL  WEED  109 

from  the  worn  painted  floor ;  from  the  frayed 
rug  of  now  patternless  carpet ;  from  the  side- 
board that  looked  like  a  parlor  organ.  Even 
from  the  closet  door  it  whispered  that  there 
was  more  shabbiness  hidden  in  the  depths. 

Mrs.  Quincy  herself  was  a  part  of  it,  for 
she  was  to  Lena  what  the  faded  rose  is  to 
the  opening  one,  a  once  beautiful  woman, 
whose  skin  now  looked  like  wrinkled  cream. 

Lena  shut  the  door  and  came  in  without 
speaking.  She  flung  her  hat  and  coat  on  the 
bed  in  the  corner,  where  a  forlorn  counter- 
pane showed  by  the  hollows  and  hills  beneath 
that  it  had  given  up  all  attempt  to  play  even. 
The  girl  sat  down  listlessly  with  her  hands 
in  her  lap. 

^^YouVe  been  gone  a  long  time,  Lena," 
said  the  mother  in  a  delicately  querulous 
voice.  '^You're  fortunate  to  be  able  to  get 
out  instead  of  being  cooped  up  in  this  little 
room  the  way  I  am."  Mrs.  Quincy  coughed 
with  conscious  pathos.  ^^I  sometimes  wonder 
if  you  ever  think  of  your  poor  mother  and 
how  lonely  she  is  most  of  the  time.  But  I'd 
ought  to  be  used  to  people's  always  forget- 
ting me. '  ^ 

^^Much  I  have  to  come  home  to!"  Lena 
answered.     ^ ^You're   about   as   cheerful   as 


110  JEWEL  WEED 

barbed  wire.  But  you  can  comfort  yourself ! 
I  shaa't  be  able  to  go  out  at  all  much  longer, 
any  way. ' ' 

*^Wliy,  what's  the  matter  now?" 

*^Do  you  expect  me  to  wear  a  felt  hat  all 
summer?"  Lena  asked  sharply.  ^^I'm 
ashamed  to  be  seen  in  that  old  thing  and  I 
should  think  you'd  be  ashamed  to  be  so  stingy 
with  me." 

Her  mother  sighed  and  lapsed  into  the 
creaking  comfort  of  her  rocking-chair. 

^'I  ain't  stingy,"  she  said  at  last.  ^'But 
if  you  had  your  way  you'd  spend  every  last 
cent  of  the  pension  the  very  day  it  comes. 
I've  got  to  look  out  we  don't  starve.  If 
you'd  only  make  up  your  mind  to  work  and 
earn  a  little  instead  of  livin'  so  pinched! 
I'm  sure  I'd  work  if  I  could.  But  there! 
there  ain't  nothing  for  me  to  do  but  to  set 
and  suffer,  and  nobody  knows  what  I  en- 
dure. ' ' 

**I  wasn't  born  to  be  a  working  girl,"  said 
Lena  sullenly.  '  ^  I  've  got  the  blood  of  a  lady 
if  I  haven't  got  the  clothes  of  one." 

^'Well,  when  it  comes  to  eating  and  drink- 
ing, blood  don't  count  much.  Everybody's 
got  the  same  appetite." 

^^No,  everybody  hasn't,"  retorted  the  girl. 


JEWEL  WEED  111 

^^I  haven't  any  appetite  for  canned  baked- 
beans  and  liver." 

^^You  eat  them,  anyway." 

*^I  know  itj  worse  luck!" 

There  was  a  tingling  silence  for  a  moment 
and  then  Lena  spoke  with  sudden  energy. 

^^ Mother,  what  can  I  do?  I'm  not  one 
of  those  girls  who  can  go  ahead  and  don't 
care.  I  haven't  been  brought  up  as  they 
have.  The  only  thing  you've  taught  me  is 
that  my  father  was  a  gentleman  and  that  I  am 
a  beauty.     And  what  good  does  that  do  me?" 

^^Teachin'  is  respectable." 

^^I  can't  teach.  I  couldn't  pass  a  teacher's 
examination  to  save  my  life.  I  don't  know 
how  to  do  anything.  And  I  won't  sink  be- 
low the  level  of  decent  society.  I'd  starve 
first.  Do  you  suppose  I  haven't  thought  it  all 
over  a  hundred  times?" 

^ '  You  can  sew  very  nicely.  I  'm  sure  every- 
thing you  make  has  real  style." 

^^Go  into  a  shop  at  starvation  wages  to 
make  pretty  things  for  other  girls  to  wear? 
I  stopped  along  near  Madame  Cerise's  to- 
day and  looked  at  some  of  the  girls  near  the 
window,  with  their  hair  all  lanky  and  their 
faces  sunk  in,  working  for  dear  life  on  finery. 
Mother,  is  that  what  you  want  for  me?'V 


112  JEWEL  WEED 

There  was  hungry  appeal  in  Lena's  voice, 
that  some  mothers  would  have  felt ;  but  Mrs. 
Quincy  was  not  on  the  lookout  for  other 
people's  shades  of  emotion. 

**Well,  if  you'd  any  sense  you'd  take  Joe 
Nolan,  as  I've  told  you  fifty  times  if  I've  told 
you  once.  He's  got  real  good  wages,  and 
you  could  twist  him  around  your  little 
finger. ' ' 

Lena's  teeth  came  together  with  a  click. 

*'Joe!  Well,  perhaps,  when  there's  noth- 
ing else  left  but  the  poorhouse.  It's  pretty 
tough  if  I  have  to  marry  a  mechanic. ' ' 

^^  Joe's  a  good  deal  of  a  man.  He  won't 
always  be  a  mechanic,  Lena.  He's  got  too 
much  ambition." 

^^He  may,  or  he  may  not.  Anyway,  he'll 
bear  the  marks  of  a  mechanic  all  his  days. 
I'm  not  his  kind." 

Lena  rose  and  went  across  the  room  to 
lean  on  the  little  dressing-table  and  survey 
herself  in  the  old  green  glass.  This  was  her 
panacea  for  every  woe.  The  little  pucker  in 
her  forehead  straightened  itself  out. 

^^Look  at  me,  mother,"  she  demanded, 
turning  around.  '^Do  you  think  all  this  is 
meant  to  scrub  and  sew  and  cook  for  the  fore- 
man in  locomotive  works  ?    Beca-rfse  I  don 't. ' ' 


JEWEL  WEED  113 

She  was  smiling,  but  her  mother  did  not 
smile  in  return. 

**I  believe  I  was  most  as  pretty  as  you  are 
when  I  was  a  girl, ' '  Mrs.  Quincy  said.  * '  And 
that  was  all  the  good  it  did.  I  thought  I  was 
making  a  grand  marriage  when  I  got  your 
father;  but  he  seemed  to  sort  of  flatten  out 
and  lose  all  his  ambition  after  we  was  mar- 
ried. He  didn't  seem  to  care  about  anything, 
though  I  used  to  give  him  my  opinion  pretty 
plain.  And  it's  mighty  little  he  left  me  when 
he  was  took, ' '  she  added  vindictively. 

Her  daughter  eyed  her  speculatively. 

**Well,  I'm  not  going  to  be  taken  in  the 
way  you  were,"  she  said  sharply.  ^^You 
thought  a  good  old  name  and  a  promising 
career  were  enough;  and  father  didn't  keep 
his  promises.  I  want  money  and  not  the 
promise  of  money. " ' 

^^And  where  will  you  find  him?"  sniffed 
Mrs.  Quincy,  to  whom  ^4t"  and  ^^he'^  were 
synonymous.  ^'1  don't  notice  any  million- 
aires crowding  up  to  you,  for  all  your  big 
eyes  and  your  great  opinion  of  yourself." 

^^ That's  just  it.  If  I  could  only  meet 
them!"  Lena  got  up  and  walked  restlessly 
about  the  room.  Her  eyes  fell  on  the  last 
night 's  copy  of  the  Star,  opened  to  that  chatty 


114  JEWEL  WEED 

column  headed  ^^ Woman's  Fancies".  She 
had  read  it  with  absorbed  interest.  Her 
body  halted  now,  for  the  muscles  often  stop 
work  when  the  mind  becomes  possessed  of  a 
great  idea.  She  stood  for  a  long  time  and 
looked  from  the  unwashed  window-pane  while 
a  new  resolve  slowly  hardened  itself  within. 

^^I'U  try,  I'll  try,  I'll  try,"  she  said  to  her- 
self, and  her  heart  thumped  uncomfortably. 
^^And  if  I  take  it  to  the  office  myself,  when 
they  see  me  perhaps  they — " 

Aloud  she  said  nothing,  for  she  had  early 
learned  the  great  lesson  that  the  best  way 
of  getting  her  own  will  with  her  mother  was 
to  do  what  she  wished  first  and  argue  about 
it  afterward. 

'^What  have  we  got  for  supper,  mother?" 
she  asked. 

^^ Nothing,"  said  Mrs.  Quincy  sharply. 

*  *  Nothing  ?  Well,  give  me  some  money  and 
let  me  go  and  get  something." 

Mrs.  Quincy  reluctantly  lifted  her  skirt  and 
began  to  explore  her  petticoat  below.  She 
shook  open  the  mouth  of  a  pocket  into  which 
she  dived  to  return  with  a  knotted  handker- 
chief. Lena  looked  on  impatiently  as  the 
knot  was  slowly  untied  and  a  small  hoard  of 
silver  disclosed. 


JEWEL  WEED  115 

^^ There,''  said  Mrs.  Quincy.  ''You  can 
take  this  quarter,  Lena,  and  do  get  something 
nourishing.  Don't  buy  cream-cakes.  I  feel 
the  need  of  what  will  stay  my  stomach. ' ' 

''I'll  get  baked-beans,"  answered  the  girl 
with  a  short  laugh. 

"Yes,  do.  I  shan't  have  another  cent  till 
next  pay-day  comes.  We've  got  to  make  this 
last.  Get  some  tea,  Lena — green,  remember. 
The  beans  won't  cost  more  than  twelve  cents. 
I  don't  see  how  you  can  have  a  new  hat." 

"Well,  give  me  ten  cents,  anyway,"  Lena 
answered  with  unexpected  submission. 

"What  do  you  want  it  for?" 

"Please,  mammy,"  Lena  said  coaxingly. 
"I  won't  buy  cream-cakes  or  anything  to  eat. 
I  want  to  invest  in  a  gold  mine." 

Mrs.  Quincy  gave  her  a  sharp  look  and 
grudgingly  handed  out  a  dime;  for  Lena's 
voice  was  instinct  with  hope,  and  hope  was 
such  a  rare  visitor  in  the  dingy  little  lodg- 
ings that  Mrs.  Quincy  grew  generous  under 
its  magnetic  warmth. 

"Now  what'd  you  want  that  ten  cents 
for?"  she  asked  curiously  when  the  girl  came 
back.  "My  land!  Only  paper  and  pencil? 
I  thought  you  was  going  to  do  something 
grand." 


CHAPTER  VII 


Lena's  progbess 


About  a  month  after  Lena  had  made  her 
investment  in  the  raw  materials  of  the 
writer's  art,  Dick  Percival  happened  to  drop 
into  the  sooty  and  untidy  office  where  for 
more  than  a  year  Norris  had  been  engaged  in 
manufacturing  public  opinion. 

** Hello!"  he  cried  as  he  opened  the  door. 
Then  he  stood  transfixed  at  the  vision  that 
met  his  sight,  for  a  very  blond  and  fuzzy 
head  was  bent  over  Ellery's  desk  and  a  very 
startled  pair  of  blue  eyes  was  raised  to  meet 
his  own.  There  stood  a  rosebud  dressed  in 
gray.  Is  there  anything  more  demure  and 
innocent  than  a  pinky  girl  in  a  mousy  gown? 
Dick's  hat  came  off  and  a  deferential  look  re- 
placed the  careless  one. 

'^ Hello,  yourself!"  said  Norris.  '^You  an- 
nounce yourself  like  a  telephone  girl.  Gome 
in.  "What  do  you  mean  by  troubling  the 
quiet  waters  of  my  daily  toil?" 

116 


LENA'S  PEOGEESS  117 

*'I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Dick  politely. 
^^If  you  are  busy  I — " 

^^ That's  all  right.  Miss  Quincy  and  I  can 
postpone  our  confab  without  inconveniencing 
the  order  of  the  universe. ' '  Miss  Quincy  was 
already  gathering  her  notes,  and  she  smiled 
at  Dick  in  a  half-shy  way  that  said,  ^*I  re- 
member you  very  plainly."  As  she  disap- 
peared slowly  down  the  hall,  Dick  started 
after  her. 

*^  Great  Scott,  Ellery!"  he  ejaculated. 
^^How  you  have  lied  to  me  about  the  grub- 
biness of  your  work!  If  this  is  your  daily 
grind,  I  don't  mind  having  a  whirl  at  the 
editorial  profession  myself." 

Norris  laughed. 

^^It  isn't  the  sum  total  of  my  duties,"  he 
said. 

'^Who  is  Hebe?"  asked  Dick. 

*^Well,  she's  rather  a  problem,"  Ellery  re- 
plied. ^^I  believe  she  appeared  a  few  weeks 
ago  at  Miss  Huntress'  office — the  woman  edi- 
tor, you  know — ^with  a  catchy  little  article  on 
fashions.  It  happened  that  the  boss  was  in 
the  office,  and  we  consider  it  rather  a  grind 
on  him,  for  he  was  much  taken  by  either  the 
article  or  the  eyes,  and  she  got  a  little  job  as 
a     sort     of     reportorial     maid-of-all-work. 


118  JEWEL  WEED 

Funny,  isn't  it?  If  a  man  is  buying  a  rug,  he 
wouldn't  think  of  deciding  on  it  because  it 
was  green,  without  testing  its  wearing  quali- 
ties ;  but  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  a  girl  gets 
chosen  because  of  her  eyes.  That's  all  I 
know  about  her.     Pretty,  isn't  she?" 

*^ Pretty!  Is  that  all  the  command  you 
have  of  your  native  language?  You  ought 
to  lose  your  job  for  that.  Why  she's — ^never 
mind — I  haven't  time  now." 

'  *  Neither  have  I, ' '  answered  Norris  sharp- 
ly. He  remembered  that  long  ago  Dick 
had  called  Madeline  pretty.  It  is  a  cheap 
and  easy  word.  *^I  haven't  time  for  you, 
either.  Will  you  go  away ;  or  will  you  keep 
still  while  I  finish  this  work?" 

'^ Waltz  away."  Dick  sat  down  on  the 
window-sill  and  fell  into  a  meditative  state 
of  mind.  Once  or  twice  he  walked  to  thef 
door  and  looked  down  the  hall,  while  Norris 
plugged  steadily  away  and  ignored  the  pres- 
ence of  his  friend. 

After    a    prolonged    silence,    Dick    spoke 
again,  solemnly: 
.  ^'I  should  like  to  meet  her." 

'/Whom?" 

''Miss — Quincy,  did  you  call  her?" 

''Oh!    Isn't  she  rather  out  of  your  class?" 


LENA'S  PEOGEESS  119 

'^Psliaw!  Don't  talk  of  classes,  now  that 
you're  out  of  college.  Do  you  know  anything 
about  her?" 

^^ Nothing,"  said  EUery  shortly.  ^^I  don't 
consider  it  my  business  to  go  beyond  my 
official  relations." 

^^Well,  I  haven't  any  business  relations  not 
to  go  beyond,"  said  Dick.  ^^So  I  mean  to 
pursue  the  inquiry." 

^^Do  as  you  like,"  EUery  answered.  ^^Is 
that  what  you  came  down  here  to  talk 
about?" 

' '  No, ' '  said  Dick,  changing  his  manner.  ^ ' I 
came  to  talk  up  an  editorial  campaign.  You 
don't  know  my  chum,  Olaf  Ericson,  do  you? 
He's  the  biggest  man  on  the  force,  and  he's  a 
corker.  I've  learned  more  from  him  about 
bad  smells  than  I  did  in  two  years  of  chemis- 
try at  New  Haven.  He  knows  this  town 
from  the  seventh  sub-cellar  up,  and  ^him  and 
me  is  great  friends'.  Seriously,  Norris,  I've 
begun  to  get  hold  of  just  the  facts  I  wanted 
about  ^the  combine',  and  it's  information  that 
is  so  very  definite  and  to  the  point  that  I  be- 
lieve I  can  make  it  hot  for  them.  I  want  the 
public  to  be  kept  informed  on  everything  that 
is  to  their  discredit.  Now  the  Star  is  a  fairly 
clean  paper,  as  papers  go.    I  want  help." 


120  JEWEL  WEED 

^'You'll  have  to  go  up  higher  for  that,  my 
boy.  It's  not  for  a  freshman  like  myself  to 
direct  the  policy  of  the  paper.  It  would  be 
a  pretty  serious  matter  to  run  up  against 
those  fellows.  Mr.  Lewis,  the  old  man,  is 
out,  but  when  he  comes  back  we'll  go  and 
have  a  talk  with  him." 

' '  Talk  to  him !  I  should  think  so ! "  Dick 
exclaimed,  and  he  began  to  pace  the  room 
and  pour  out  the  floods  of  his  information,  in 
wrath  of  soul  and  glow  of  spirits  at  his  re- 
solve to  clean  things  up. 

Meanwhile  in  Miss  Huntress'  office,  farther 
down  the  hall,  Lena  was  discussing  with  that 
determined  person  the  possibility  of  supply- 
ing the  public  with  more  of  the  kind  of  litera- 
ture for  which  women,  in  particular,  are  sup- 
posed to  have  a  mad  desire.  Miss  Huntress 
was  an  adept  at  filling  her  page  with  per- 
sonalities by  which  those  who  know  nobody 
may  have  almost  as  great  a  knowledge  of  the 
great  as  those  who  have  achieved  the  proud 
distinction  of  being  ^'in  it".  Lena  had  writ- 
ten a  highly  successful  series  of  articles  on 
*'St.  Etienne  as  seen  from  the  shop  win- 
dows," and  she  longed  for  new  and  similar 
fields  to  conquer. 

*'I've  been  wondering,"  said  Miss  Hun- 


LENA'S  PEOGEESS  121 

tress,  *4f  you  couldn't  get  up  some  catchy 
little  things  on  private  libraries  and  picture 
galleries.  If  you  can  raise  some  photographs 
to  go  with  them,  you  might  make  quite  a  hit. 
That's  the  kind  of  thing  that  takes.  You  see 
it  makes  people  able  to  talk  about  the  inside 
of  rich  folk's  houses." 

'^I  suppose  you  would  want  me  to  begin 
with  Mr.  Early,"  said  Lena,  hardly  knowing 
what  reply  to  make. 

^^  Never  mind  Mr.  Early.  Everybody 
knows  just  what  he's  got  and  how  his  place 
looks.  You  might  include  him  later,  but  I 
should  start  with  people  who  are  more  ex- 
clusive and  yet  whose  names  everybody 
knows.  Now  there's  Mr.  Windsor  and  Mrs. 
Percival.  By  the  way,  Mr.  Norris  is  awfully 
intimate  at  the  Percivals'.  Perhaps  he'd 
help  you  to  an  introduction.  If  Mrs.  Perci- 
val would  let  you  write  up  her  library,  you 
may  be  sure  there 'd  be  a  lot  of  others  who 
would  follow  her  example.  You  might  try  it, 
anyway.  Go  and  see  her.  Tell  her  what  a 
hard  time  you  are  having  to  earn  your  own 
living.  Your  looks  will  carry  you  a  long 
way. ' ' 

^^I  think  young  Mr.  Percival  is  in  Mr.  Nor- 
ris' office  now.     Some  one  came  in  while  I 


122  JEWEL  WEED 

was  there  and  I  think  he  called  him  Percival,'' 
said  Lena  faintly. 

^^Say!  is  that  so?"  exclaimed  Miss  Hun- 
tress. ^^Now's  your  chance!  Go  in  and  ask 
while  he 's  there.  He  '11  find  it  hard  to  refuse 
to  your  face." 

'*You  go,"  interposed  Lena.  '^If  I  go,  it 
will  look  as  though  I  knew.  But  you  can 
walk  in  all  innocent." 

Therefore  the  conversation  on  matters 
which  were  to  change  the  destiny  of  a  city 
was  interrupted  by  a  smart  knock  on  the 
assistant  editor's  door,  and  Miss  Huntress, 
eminently  self-possessed,  walked  in  on  the 
two  young  men. 

^^Beg  pardon,  Mr.  Norris,  I  didn't  know 
you  had  any  one  here,"  she  began.  ^^But  I 
won't  keep  you  a  moment.  The  truth  is,  I 
want  a  series  of  articles  on  the  private  libra- 
ries of  the  city,  and,  knowing  that  you  are 
acquainted  with  Mrs.  Percival,  I  thought 
you'd  help  the  paper  to  an  opening  there." 

**Let  me  introduce  Mr.  Percival,"  said 
Norris.  '^He  can  give  you  more  information 
than  I  can." 

''Well,  this  is  lucky!"  ejaculated  Miss 
Huntress. 

''Our  library  isn't  a  show  affair,"  Dick  said 


LENA'S  PROGEESS  123 

stiffly.  ^^My  mother,  I  am  sure,  would  be 
very  unwilling  to  submit  to  that  kind  of  a 
write-up.  My  father  was  a  book-lover,  not 
a  book-fancier.  It's  essentially  a  private  col- 
lection. ' ' 

^*I'm  sorry  you  feel  that  way  about  it,'' 
Miss  Huntress  rejoined  equably.  ^^Of 
course,  nowadays,  I  can't  admit  that  there's 
any  such  thing  as  privacy.  And  it  isn't  only 
that  I  want  the  articles,  Mr.  Percival.  I 
want  to  help  along  a  girl  that  needs  the  work, 
and  an  awfully  nice  girl  she  is.  We  haven't 
any  regular  job  for  her,  and  all  I  can  do  is 
to  throw  odd  bits  of  work  in  her  way.  She 
has  an  old  mother  to  support,  and  it  would 
be  a  real  charity  to  her  if  you'd  look  at  it  in 
that  light.  Miss  Quincy  is  a  perfect  lady, 
and  you  may  be  sure  she  'd  take  no  advantage 
of  you  to  write  up  anything  sensational  or  im- 
pertinent. ' ' 

Dick  started  and  glanced  consciously  at 
Norris,  who  grinned  back. 

^ '  Of  course  that  puts  another  light  on  it, ' ' 
Mr.  Percival  said  after  a  decent  pause,  and 
trying  to  compose  his  face  to  a  judicial  ex- 
pression. ^^I'd  hate  to  put  a  stumbling-block 
in  the  way  of  a  girl  like  that.  Ah-um — 
I'll  speak  to  my  mother  about  it.  Miss  Hun- 


124  JEWEL  WEED 

tress,  and  I  dare  say  I  can  persuade  her  to 
allow  it." 

^^ That's  very  good  of  you,"  Miss  Huntress 
answered, — ^with  sad  comprehension  that  a 
complexion  like  Lena's  was  a  great  aid  to  a 
literary  career,  ^*You  couldn't  manage  to 
let  Miss  Quincy  go  up  this  afternoon,  could 
you?"  she  went  on  with  characteristic  energy 
in  pushing  an  advantage.  ^*It  would  be  a 
good  thing  if  she  could  get  her  first  stuff 
ready  for  the  Saturday-night  issue." 

' '  My  mother,  I  suppose,  is  driving  this  af- 
ternoon," Dick  said  hesitatingly.  He  went 
through  a  hasty  calculation  and  saw  reasons 
for  cutting  out  certain  of  his  own  engage- 
ments. *^See  here.  Miss  Huntress,  if  you're 
in  such  a  hurry,  I  don't  mind  taking  Miss 
Quincy  up  and  telling  her  what  I  know  about 
old  editions  and  rare  folios.  I'll  make  it 
right  with  mother  afterward." 

Miss  Huntress'  face  cleared  perceptibly. 

^  ^You're  awfully  good,  Mr.  Percival. 
Won't  you  come  down  to  my  office  now,  and 
I'll  introduce  you  to  Miss  Quincy?  This  is  a 
real  favor."  Dick  shot  a  glance  of  triumph 
at  EUery,  believing  himself  a  skilled  sly  dog 
of  a  manipulator,  and  not  knowing  that  he 
was  the  manipulated.    Norris  spoke  in  scorn. 


LENA'S  PROGRESS  125 

**I  suppose  righteousness  and  reform  can 
wait  now. ' ' 

^^You  can  bet  they  will.  I'll  call  on  you 
to-morrow  afternoon,  Norris." 

^ '  That 's  the  usual  fate  of  reform.  Don 't  be 
a  fool,  Dick."  But  Dick  was  already  disap- 
pearing down  the  corridor  in  pursuit  of  the 
able  woman  editor. 

The  girl  waiting  in  the  disordered  office 
looked  more  than  ever  like  a  bridesmaid  rose, 
pink  and  ruffled  and  out  of  its  proper  setting, 
as  she  saw  Mr.  Percival  coming. 

^^Miss  Quincy,"  said  Dick,  *^I  have  a  motor 
down  stairs,  and  I'll  take  you  up  to  the  house 
right  away,  if  you  don't  mind." 

If  she  didn't  mind! 

When  youth  starts  out  to  revolutionize  the 
world,  it  meets  with  many  distractions.  Even 
in  the  hour  that  Dick  spent  in  the  quiet  old 
library  with  Miss  Quincy,  he  met  with  dis- 
tractions. He  tried  to  keep  her  mind  on  mis- 
sals and  Aldine  editions,  but  she  persisted  in 
poring  over  old  copies  of  Godey's  Lady's 
Book,  which  she  found  tucked  away  in  a  for- 
gotten comer.  Nobody  but  Lena  could  have 
scented  them  out. 

^'The  fashions  are  so  funny,  Mr.  Perci- 
val!" she  insisted.    ^*Do  look  at  these  pre- 


126  JEWEL  WEED 

posterons  hoop-skirts  and  the  little  short 
waists.  Did  you  say  that  no  one  knows  how 
that  gold  leaf  was  pnt  on  that  ugly  old  book? 
How  absurd !  I  must  put  that  down.  I  sup- 
pose that  is  the  kind  of  thing  I  have  to  write 
up.'' 

^^Be  sure  you  don't  get  mixed  up  and  de- 
scribe monkish  fichus  and  gold  leaf  on  the 
bias,  or  you'll  be  everlastingly  disgraced  in 
the  office." 

'^ Never  mind.  I'll  learn  your  horrid  old 
pieces  of  information  in  a  few  minutes.  Do 
let  me  look  at  this  a  little  longer,"  Lena 
answered  so  prettily,  and  pointed  with  so 
dainty  a  finger,  and  glanced  up  so  pathetic- 
ally, that  Dick  too  became  absorbed  in 
Godey's  Lady's  Book. 

^* Weren't  they  frightful  guys?"  Lena  went 
on.  ^ '  But  I  dare  say  the  men  of  that  time— 
what  is  the  date? — 1862 — thought  they  were 
lovely. ' ' 

<<Very  likely,  poor  men!  You  see  they 
hadn't  the  privilege  of  knowing  the  girls  of 
to-day  and  they  thought  their  own  women 
were  the  top-notch." 

**Now  you  are  horrid  and  sarcastic,"  said 
Lena. 

^^  Never  a  bit.    I  find  it  impossible  to  be- 


LENA'S  PROGRESS  127 

lieve  that  there  was  ever  before  so  much 
beauty  in  the  world.  There  was  here  and 
there  a  pretty  girl,  like  Helen  of  Troy,  and 
they  made  an  awful  fuss  over  her. ' ' 

**But  she  must  have  been  really  wonder- 
ful." 

^^Yes,  if  a  girl  is  as  much  run  after  as  that, 
she  must  either  be  a  raving  beauty  or  else  she 
lives  in  the  far  West." 

^^But,  you  know,  there  aren't  so  very  many 
real  beauties  nowadays,  are  there?"  She 
glanced  sidewise  at  him  in  an  adorable  man- 
ner. 

'^I  can't  remember  more  than  one — or 
two,"  said  Dick  judicially. 

Lena  laughed  softly. 

'^I  think  it  must  have  been  very  nice  to  be 
one  of  the  few  and  be  made  a  fuss  over,  in- 
stead of — " 

^^Instead  of  what?" 

^^  Instead  of  having  to  grub  and  struggle 
for  your  bread,"  Lena  answered, — and  there 
was  a  misty  look  in  the  big  eyes  she  turned  up 
to  him. 

'^Poor  little  girl!"  said  Dick.  '*You  cer- 
tainly are  not  of  the  kind  who  ought  to  battle 
with  the  world.  Haven't  you  any  man  who 
could  shelter  you  a  little  ? " 


128  JEWEL  WEED 

Lena  shook  her  head,  with  an  air  of  pa- 
tient suffering. 

'*My  father  is  dead,"  she  said.  ^^He  was 
of  a  good  family,  as  you  might  know  by  my 
name,  but  he  was  wounded  in  the  war,  and  he 
never  got  over  it.  Of  course  he  was  very 
young  then.  He  wasn't  married  till  long 
afterward.    He  died  when  I  wa  s  a  little  thing. ' ' 

'^That  was  the  history  of  my  father,  too !'' 
Dick  felt  a  glow  of  kindred  experience. 
^ '  See,  that  is  his  portrait  over  the  mantel. ' ' 

Lena  looked  very  lovely  and  spiritual  as 
she  gazed  up  at  the  quiet  face  that  looked 
back  at  her,  and  Dick  watched  her.  Then 
she  drew  a  full  breath  and  turned  her  eyes  on 
him. 

**You  are  like  him,"  she  said  softly,  and 
something  in  her  voice  made  the  words  a 
thrilling  tribute. 

Then  she  added:  ^^Yes,  but  he  left  you  in 
comfort,  and  we — ^my  mother  and  I — " 

^^Will  you  let  me  come  to  see  your  mother 
sometime?" 

Lena's  heart  beat  fast  with  mingled  fear 
and  hope,  but  all  Dick  saw  was  a  startled  and 
sweet  surprise. 

^^I  should  be  almost  ashamed  to  have  you 
come,"  she  said  with  a  soft  blush  and  a  look 


LENA'S  PROGEESS  129 

of  shy  invitation.  ^^We  are  so  poor  and  we 
live  in  such  a  shabby  place. ' ' 

*'If  your  shabbiness  comes  because  of  your 
father's  sacrifice  for  his  country  it  is  some- 
thing to  be  proud  of,"  Dick  answered. 

Through  Lena's  mind  there  passed  a  swift 
memory  of  quarrels  and  bickerings,  of  daily 
smallnesses,  which  were  her  chief  recollection 
of  her  father.  She  looked  frankly  up  into 
Dick's  face. 

'^Yes,"  she  said.  ^^That  ought  to  make  it 
easy  to  bear.  Now  I  must  not  talk  about  my- 
self any  more.  What  did  you  tell  me  about 
that  funny  old  book?" 

'^And  I  may  come  to  see  you  and  your 
mother?"  Dick  persisted. 

^^If  you  do  not  forget  us  to-morrow," — 
Lena  glanced  at  him  out  of  the  corner  of  her 
eyes  in  a  way  calculated  to  make  him  remem- 
ber. 

^'I  shan't  forget,"  said  Dick. 

He  took  out  a  small  note-book  and  wrote 
down  the  address  she  gave  him.  And  she 
gave  herself  a  little  shake  and  pulled  out  a 
much  larger  note-book.  ^'I  ought  not  to 
waste  my  time  and  yours  this  way,  but,  you 
see,  I'm  not  much  of  a  business  woman.  I 
sometimes  forget  altogether." 


130  JEWEL  WEED 

Dick  thought  her  very  preposterous  and 
charming  as  she  set  to  work  with  an  air  of 
severity;  and  so  she  was — the  last  thing  on 
earth  made  to  do  serious  work.  They  leaned 
together  over  one  treasure  after  another,  in 
that  electric  nearness  that  moves  youth  so 
easily,  and  sends  a  tingling  sensation  up  the 
backbone. 

When  she  suddenly  rose,  her  cheeks  were 
pinker  and  more  transparent  than  ever,  and 
her  eyes  softer  and  dreamier. 

^^Let  me  take  you  home  in  the  motor,"  said 
Dick. 

^^Dear  me,  no,"  Lena  exclaimed.  ''I'm 
afraid  you  think  me  entirely  too  informal  al- 
ready. I — I'm  so  stupid  and  impulsive.  I'm 
always  doing  wrong  things  and  not  thinking 
till  afterward.  Good-by,  and  thank  you,  Mr. 
Percival. ' ' 

After  he  had  bowed  her  out,  Dick  plunged 
into  a  big  chair  and  spent  a  few  moments  in 
analyzing  his  own  character.  He  perceived 
that  in  some  ways  he  differed  from  most  of 
his  friends.  Now  Ellery  and  Madeline  and 
most  of  the  others  lived  along  certain  conven- 
tional lines,  with  certain  fixed  interests  and 
habits.  That  kind  of  existence  would  be  in- 
tolerable to  him.    He  liked  to  star  his  days 


LENA'S  PROGRESS  131 

with  all  kinds  of  colored  incidents  that  had  no 
particnlar  relation  to  his  main  work.  He 
liked  to  run  down  every  by-path,  explore  it  a 
bit,  and  then  come  back  to  the  highway. 
Those  small  excursions  were  apt  to  take  a 
man  into  leafy  dells  where  there  were  ferns 
and  flowers  too  shy  to  fringe  the  dusty  plod- 
ding thoroughfare.  Dick  liked  that  figure. 
It  revealed  to  him  a  certain  lightness  of  heart 
and  poetry  in  himself  that  distinguished  him 
from  the  prosy  grubbers.  This  sprinkling  of 
life  with  episodes  was  like  a  little  tonic.  It 
kept  him  vivid  and  alive. 

Take  this  very  afternoon  just  passed.  It 
meant  little,  of  course,  either  to  him  or  to 
the  pretty  little  pathetic  reporter  girl,  but  it 
had  injected  a  bit  of  pleasure  into  her  routine, 
and  given  him  an  insight  into  another  kind  of 
maiden  from  the  well-kept,  sheltered  women 
he  knew  best.  Such  things  help  a  man's 
larger  sympathies.  He  was  glad  that  he 
could  enjoy  many  types  of  men  and  women. 

A  rumble  of  wheels  outside  brought  him  out 
of  this  particular  by-path  into  the  highway. 

*^  What  a  dispensation  that  the  mater  didn't 
come  home  in  the  middle  of  it !"  he  said  with 
a  sigh  of  satisfaction. 


CHAPTEE  VIII 

THE  FALLS 

According  to  his  promise,  Dick  presented 
himself  at  Ellery's  office  on  the  next  after- 
noon.    He  wore  a  brisk  and  moving  air. 

^'Miss  Qnincy  is  not  here  to-day,"  Norris 
said  without  looking  np. 

^^I  know  it,"  Dick  answered  promptly. 
^'Are  yon  through  yet?" 

^^IVe  finished  with  the  ephemerae  of  this 
particular  Tuesday,  and  before  I  begin  on 
those  of  Wednesday,  I  have  a  few  precious 
moments  to  waste  ou  you. ' '  EUery  wheeled 
his  chair  around. 

^'Do  you  know  that  this  is  Decoration  Day 
and  a  holiday?" 

^'Is  there  anything  a  sub-editor  does  not 
know?" 

''Have  you  ever  been  to  the  Falls  of  Wa- 
beno?" 

''No." 

*' And  you  call  yourself  a  true  citizen  of  St. 

132 


THE  FALLS  133 

Etienne?  Oome  with  me  and  see  the  popu- 
lace chew  gum  amid  scenes  of  natural 
beauty. ' ' 

^^I  thought  we  were  going  to  agitate  civic 
reform. ' ' 

^^We'U  agitate  as  we  go  along.  Come,  El- 
lery,  it's  a  superb  day.  I  feel  like  the  burst- 
ing buds.     Let 's  get  out. ' ' 

'^My  dear  Dick,"  said  Norris,  *Hhe  trouble 
with  you  is  that  you  never  want  to  do  any- 
thing ;  you  always  want  to  do  something  else. 
I  begin  to  think  that  there  are  compensations 
to  a  man  in  having  fate  hold  his  nose  to  the 
grindstone.  He  learns  persistence,  willy- 
nilly." 

^'Stop  your  growling.  Up,  William,  up, 
and  quit  your  galley-proof.  I  am  willing  to 
bet  that  my  flashes  in  the  pan  will  do  things 
before  I  am  through." 

'^I  dare  swear  they  will  get  way  ahead  of 
my  grubbing, "  EUery  rejoined,  slamming  his 
desk.     ^^Come,  I'll  go  with  you." 

On  the  southern  outskirts  of  the  city  lay  a 
park  where  art  had  done  no  more  than  re- 
touch nature.  Here  a  placid  stream  suddenly 
transformed  itself  into  an  imposing  waterfall, 
plunging  with  roars  over  a  rocky  cliff,  and 
sending  its  spray  whirling  high  in  air  to  paint 


134  JEWEL  WEED 

a  hundred  illusive  rainbows  amid  outstretcli- 
ing  tree-branches  or  against  a  somber  back- 
ground of  stone. 

Dick  left  his  motor  near  the  brink  of  the 
cliff  above  the  Falls  and  the  two  climbed 
down  the  steep  bank,  stopping  now  and  again 
to  yield  to  the  fascination  of  rushing  water 
and  to  snuff  the  fresh-flying  mist  as  it  swept 
into  their  faces. 

Caught  in  the  gully  below,  the  stream, 
which  had  suddenly  contracted  a  habit  of  un- 
ruliness,  tumbled  onward  under  trees  and 
through  overhanging  rocks  until  it  joined  the 
Mississippi  a  half-mile  away. 

There  were  other  people,  hordes  of  them, 
tempted  by  May  sunshine. 

^^What  is  it,  Ellery,"  Dick  demanded, 
''what  deep-seated  idealism  is  it  that  draws 
these  crowds  to  the  most  beautiful  spot  near 
town  as  soon  as  spring  offers  more  than  half 
an  invitation  ? ' ' 

''It  certainly  isn't  a  poetry  that  crops  out 
in  their  clothes  or  in  their  conversation," 
Norris  grumbled.  ' '  The  staple  remark  seems 
to  be,  'Gee,  ain't  it  pretty?'  " 

"You  mustn't  expect  to  see  aristocracy 
here ;  this  is  too  cheap,  and  too  easy  to  reach. 
Your  aristocrat  prefers  less  beauty  at  greater 


THE  FALLS  135 

effort  and  more  cost.  This  is  the  place  to 
touch  elbows  with  the  populace. ' ' 

They  had  climbed  down  the  long  winding 
steps  by  this  time,  and  were  leaning  against 
the  parapet  of  a  small  rustic  bridge  that 
crossed  below  the  Falls. 

'^ Let's  sit  down  on  that  bench,"  said  Dick, 
'^and  let  the  sunshine  trickle  through  the 
trees  and  through  us,  and  feel  the  spray  in 
our  nostrils,  and  delight  in  hanging  maiden- 
hair ferns,  and  watch  the  girls  go  by — the 
girls  in  pink  and  blue  dresses,  each  leaning 
on  the  arm  of  a  swain  who  grins.  It's  vastly 
more  fun  than  a  fashionable  parade. ' ' 

The  branches  met  overhead,  darkening  the 
narrow  chasm ;  the  steep  banks  were  spatter- 
ed with  dutchman's  breeches  that  fluttered 
like  butterflies  poised  for  a  moment;  down 
stream  a  few  yards,  where  the  valley  widened, 
lay  a  tiny  meadow  where  the  sun  fell  full  on 
a  carpet  of  crow-foot  violets  that  gave  back 
the  May  sky.  Two  squirrels  chased  each 
other  around  a  big  maple,  and  a  blue  jay 
looked  on  and  commented. 

^'Why  is  this  stream  of  girls  and  men  out 
for  their  holiday  like  baked  ice-cream  ? ' '  asked 
Dick.  * '  That  isn  't  a  conundrum ;  it 's  a  philo- 
sophic question." 


136  JEWEL  WEED 

^'I  know,  they  give  you  the  same  sense  of 
incongruity, ' '  EUery  answered  lazily. 

^^But  I  like  them,"  Dick  pursued.  ^*I  like 
a  great  many  more  kinds  of  people  than  you 
do,  Norris.  You  are  narrow-minded.  You 
want  to  associate  only  with  the  good  and  true 
and  bathed." 

' '  Oh,  I  wish  well  to  the  majority  of  the  race, 
but  there  are  some  that  I  do  not  care  to  eat 
with." 

Something  in  EUery 's  voice  made  his 
friend  turn  and  survey  him. 

^^You  look  tired.  You're  working  too 
hard.  Don't  make  the  western  mistake  of 
thinking  frazzled  nerves  mean  energy. ' ' 

^^That  isn't  my  kind,"  Ellery  smiled. 
^'I'm  all  right.  Let  me  spurt  for  a  while.  I 
got  my  position  through  favor,  Dick,  yours 
and  Uncle  Joe's.  I  didn't  particularly  de- 
serve it,  and  I  didn't  know  anything  about 
the  work;  so,  for  your  sake  as  well  as  my 
own,  I  have  determined  to  make  good. 
Friendship  may  give  a  fellow  his  chance,  but 
it  doesn't  hold  down  a  job,  you  know." 

*^Pooh!  You've  made  good  already.  A 
man  can  be  tremendously  experienced — for 
the  West — ^when  he's  been  at  a  thing  a  year. 
Look  at  me  and  my  work. '  ^ 


THE  FALLS  137 

^^What  do  you  consider  your  work?  Eoad 
inspector?"  For,  to  tell  the  truth,  Norris 
was  not  wholly  satisfied  with  Dick's  year  of 
dawdling  around  the  streets. 

^^My  profession,"  Dick  answered  with 
oracular  gravity,  ^4s  a  combination  of  hard 
work  and  fine  art.  It  requires  both  toil  and 
genius.  I  think  I  may  say,  with  all  natural 
modesty,  that  I  have  shown  great  natural  ap- 
titude for  it.  My  profession  is  making 
friends.  I  have  made  friends  useful  and 
ornamental,  friends  great  and  small,  friends 
beautiful  and  friends  the  opposite — ^which  re- 
minds me  of  your  previous  question,  city  poli- 
tics. Whom  do  you  suppose  I  supped  with 
last  night?" 

^^Whom?" 

'^With  the  Honorable,  or  by  courtesy  dub- 
bed Honorable,  William  Barry,"  Dick  replied 
triumphantly. 

^<  < Piggy'  Barry?"  ejaculated  EUery,  turn- 
ing on  Dick  in  surprise.  ^^ Alderman  Barry? 
The  boss?" 

<<  ^ Piggy'  does  somehow  sound  more  appro- 
priate than  'Honorable',"  Dick  said  medi- 
tatively. 

''And  is  he  one  of  the  people  you  like?" 
questioned  EUery  with  unfeigned  surprise. 


138  JEWEL  WEED 

^^For  business  purposes,  yes.  If  I'm  going 
to  get  into  politics  some  day,  it  becomes  me  to 
cultivate  local  statesmen,  doesn't  it?  I  took 
the  great  man  to  the  theater,  or  at  least  to 
something  that  called  itself  the  theater,  and  I 
gave  him  an  excellent  supper  afterward.  He 
seemed  to  appreciate  it  and  my  society. ' ' 

^^I  dare  say  you  made  yourself  agreeable. 
Do  you  expect  he  will  help  you  in  your  public 


career  I ' ' 


' '  Not  voluntarily,  perhaps ;  but  I  wanted  to 
know  him,  better  and  better.  Under  benign 
influences,  he  is  indiscreet.  He  reminded  me 
last  night  of  Louis  XIV.  He  might  have 
said,  '  St.  Etienne,  it  is  I, '  but  in  his  simpler 
and  less  sophisticated  language,  he  was  con- 
tent to  remark,  ^I'm  the  whole  damn  show, 
see?'" 

*'I'm  glad  he  knew  enough  to  put  the  ap- 
propriate adjective  before  show,"  said  EUery 
grimly. 

' '  And  yet  I  suspect  that,  even  in  that  state- 
ment, he  lied, ' '  Dick  went  on.  ^  ^  I  studied  him 
last  night.  You'll  never  persuade  me  that 
that  man,  whose  head  is  all  face  and  neck, 
does  the  intricate  planning  and  wire-pulling 
that  runs  this  city.  I've  an  idea  Barry  is 
only  the  two  placards  on  each  side  of  the 


THE  FALLS  139 

sandwich-man.  He  may  be  the  adjective 
show,  but  I  doubt  if  he 's  the  man. ' ' 

' '  Have  yon  discovered  who  is  the  real  sand- 
wich-man?" 

^^No,  I  haven't.  My  reasoning  is  induc- 
tive. I  see  numerous  little  holes  with  small 
tips  of  threads  sticking  through  them,  but 
when  I  try  to  get  hold  of  the  threads  to  pull 
them  out  and  examine  them,  the  ends  are  too 
short  or  my  fingers  are  too  big.  But  get  hold 
of  them  I  shall,  sooner  or  later,  by  hook  or 
crook.  If  I  don't  give  some  of  those  fellows 
the  slugging  of  their  lives,  my  name  isn't 
Eichard  Percival." 

'*I  suspect  that  it  is  Eichard  Percival," 
said  Ellery  with  a  whimsical  glance  of  affec- 
tion. 

^^This,  as  I  read  it,  is  the  history,"  Dick 
went  on.  ^^Six  years  ago,  when  you  and  I 
were  sub-freshmen,  and  unable  to  take  an  ac- 
tive part,  there  was  a  brief  spasm  of  reform. 
It  was  a  short  episode  of  fisticuffs  and  fight- 
ing, which  is  for  a  day — a  very  different  thing 
from  governing,  which  goes  steadily  on  from 
year  to  year.  But  this  reform  movement  did 
result  in  giving  the  city  a  good  charter. ' ' 

^^The  Garden  of  Eden  was  once  fitted  out 
with  an   excellent  system  of  government." 


140  JEWEL  WEED 

^'Exactly.  Charters,  left  to  themselves,  do 
not  regulate  human  nature.  The  good  citi- 
zens of  St.  Etienne  went  their  own  busy  busi- 
ness way  and  left  the  less  occupied  bad 
citizens  to  adapt  the  charter  to  the  needs  of 
life;  and  that  was  an  easy  job,  so  easy  that 
it  has  apparently  been  possible  for  one  man 
to  manage  it.  The  charter  put  great  power 
into  the  hands  of  the  mayor.  There  have 
been  three  mayors  elected  under  it,  and  they 
have  all  been  ^friends'  of  Billy  Barry." 

'^I  wonder  if  the  next  will  be,"  queried 
EUery  thoughtfully. 

*^And  the  majority  of  every  working  com- 
mittee appointed  by  the  city  council  is  made 
of  ^friends'  of  Piggy,  who  shows  a  fine  dis- 
regard of  party  lines  in  his  affiliations. 
William  is  one  more  product  of  this  horseless 
wireless  age — a  crownless  king." 

'^What  makes  you  think  that  he  isn't  the 
power  he  seems?" 

'^A  lot  of  things.  The  business  interests 
behind  him  do  not  seem  to  be  wholly  his. 
That  is  another  field  for  investigation." 

^'You  started  yesterday  to  tell  me  about  a 
big  policeman. ' ' 

*^  Yes,  Olaf  Ericson,  with  the  eyes  and  mus- 
tache  of  a  viking   above    a  blue   uniform. 


THE  FALLS  141 

Wlien  I  met  him  last  he  had  just  had  the 
melancholy  duty  of  cutting  down  a  poor 
wretch  that  had  hung  himself,  and  of  sending 
for  the  coroner.  He  told  me  that  the  pathetic 
part  of  it  was  that  the  dead  man  was  a  total 
stranger  in  the  city;  and  then  he  winked  and 
asked  if  I  knew  that  though  the  city  paid  the 
coroner  his  salary,  the  state  guaranteed  an 
extra  fee  of  ^saxty  dollar'  to  that  official  for 
every  stranger  who  met  with  sudden  death 
within  our  limits?  I  didn^t  know,  but  I  do 
now.  I  took  pains  to  look  up  last  year's  re- 
cords and,  curiously  enough,  out  of  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-six  cases  that  required  the 
services  of  a  coroner,  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
one  were  those  of  strangers.  That  would  add 
about  nine  thousand  dollars  to  a  quite  mode- 
rate salary.  Another  queer  thing  is  that 
Doctor  Niger — the  coroner,  you  know — is 
Billy  Barry's  brother-in-law." 

^ ^ Great  Scott!"  said  Ellery. 

'^Grreat  Barry,  say  I.  Now  it  may  be  my 
historic  sense,  or  it  may  be  mere  curiosity,  but 
I  mean  to  hunt  up  the  personal  history  of 
those  hundred-odd  strangers  who  died  forlorn 
and  lonely  within  our  gates. ' ' 

^'Work  quietly,  Dick,  and  get  your  facts 
well  in  hand. ' ' 


142  JEWEL  WEED 

^'I  intend  to.  But  when  I  have  it  all,  don't 
you  suppose  your  chief,  Lewis,  will  be  willing 
to  publish  the  record?" 

^^I  hope  so." 

^^I  dare  say  the  day  will  come  when  Barry 
and  I  shall  cease  to  be  friends,"  said  Dick 
cheerfully.  *  ^  One  must  submit  to  the  inevit- 
able. But  let's  keep  the  papers  dribbling  out 
information  to  the  public.  By  the  time  the 
coroner  story  is  finished,  I  expect  to  have  an- 
other ready." 

^^ Tell  me." 

^^Not  yet.  What  used  old  Eddy  to  preach 
to  us  in  rhetoric?  ^Before  you  attempt  com- 
position, be  sure  that  you  have  a  rounded 
thought.'  This  isn't  round,  it's  elliptical. 
Big  Olaf  is  a  friend  useful.  He's  a  shrewd 
fellow,  who's  been  looking  stupid  for  some 
time.  The  ^ bunch'  hasn't  been  treating  him 
square.  You  can  guess  what  that  means. 
Anyway,  he  is  sore  as  well  as  shrewd,  and 
now  I  fancy  he  belongs  to  me." 

Norris  turned  with  a  start  and  stared  Dick 
in  the  face. 

^^How  did  you  get  possession  of  him?"  he 
asked  sharply. 

^^Well,  what  if  I  bought  him?" 

^'Do  you  mean  that  you  are  making  up  to 


THE  FALLS  143 

him  what  Barry's  dirty  hands  have  failed  to 
give?  You  are  bribing  him  to  act  as  your 
spyr' 

'^I  do  not  suppose  there  is  any  harm  in  my 
hiring  a  private  detective. ' ' 

' '  That  depends  on  whether  he  is  already  a 
public  official,  and  on  how  you  pay  him,  and 
what  you  pay  him  for. ' ' 

'^EUery,  those  fellows  have  sentries  and 
pickets  and  fortifications  and  guns  always  in 
battle-array  against  us  and  our  kind.  The 
only  thing  to  do  is  to  gather  hosts  and  am- 
munition on  the  other  side. ' ' 

^^True.  But  there  isn't  any  use  in  fighting 
dishonesty  with  dishonor.  Dick,  don't  lower 
your  standard  to  the  mere  flinging  of  mud. ' ' 

But  Dick  did  not  appear  to  listen.  His 
eyes  were  caught  by  one  of  the  passing  cou- 
ples and  he  sprang  to  his  feet. 

^^ Let's  follow  the  stream  a  little  farther," 
he  said,  moving  as  he  spoke.  ^^The  gorge 
grows  wilder  and  more  enticing  the  farther 
you  go." 

He  walked  hurriedly  down  the  path,  and 
EUery,  whose  mind  seldom  leaped,  but  pro- 
gressed by  orderly  steps,  followed  in  some 
bewilderment.  An  instant  before  Dick's  face 
had  worn  the  profound  air  of  a  man  on  whose 


144  JEWEL  WEED 

shoulders  rested  mighty  problems.  Now 
every  movement  was  boyish  and  exnltant. 
He  laughed  to  himself.  The  stream  thunder- 
ed and  one  does  not  ask  a  friend  to  shout  out 
his  minor  moods,  so  EUery  forbore  to  ques- 
tion. 

Suddenly  the  brook  burst  through  over- 
hanging cliffs  of  party-colored  sandstone  out 
of  its  thread-like  gorge  into  the  wide  chasm  of 
the  Mississippi.  A  small  steamer  lay  at  an- 
chor and  tooted  a  discordant  horn  to  signify 
to  the  world  that  she  intended  to  be  up  and 
doing.  A  crowd  of  phlegmatic-faced  revelers 
stood  upon  the  bank  and  watched  her  with 
absorbed  indifference,  while  a  smaller  number 
pushed  aboard  and  prepared  for  true  joy  by 
laying  in  a  store  of  cracker- jack  and  peanuts 
at  a  diminutive  counter. 

^^Just  in  time!"  Dick  ejaculated  and  he 
shoved  Ellery  on  to  the  swaying  deck  as  the 
hawsers  were  swung  loose. 

They  whirled  out  into  mid-stream  and  ex- 
changed the  fine  feminine  delights  of  the 
brook  for  the  bold  masculine  ones  of  the  great 
river,  whose  craggy  banks  rose  high,  like  for- 
tifications, forest-crowned.  Tangles  of  wood- 
bine, clematis  and  bitter-sweet  sprawled  down 
over  striated  rocks.     The  boat  twisted  its  way 


THE  FALLS  145 

through  a  current  that  boiled  up  from  below 
in  whirlpools.  Here  and  there  huge  logs 
plunged  downward  like  water-monsters,  as 
they  threaded  between  wooded  islands,  where 
meek-looking  cottontails  squatted  and  twid- 
dled their  noses  at  the  passing  craft ;  on,  on, 
until,  far  off,  loomed  the  boldest  highest  cliff 
of  all,  its  top  crested  by  a  quaint  old  slit-win- 
dowed round  tower  of  a  fort,  once  a  border 
defense  against  Chippewa  and  Sioux,  now 
backed  by  the  sleek  lawns  of  well-groomed 
officers. 

EUery  looked  around  at  his  fellow  passen- 
gers, contentedly  munching  their  peanuts  and 
conversing  in  broad  English  flavored  with 
Norse.  They  were  a  good-natured  assem- 
blage, who  choked  and  snorted  and  chuckled 
and  whinnied  in  their  laughter.  Norris' 
eyes  were  caught  by  one  girl,  conspicuously 
because  plainly  dressed.  As  she  turned  her 
profile,  he  glanced  at  Dick.  Dick  too  was 
staring  at  her,  and  even  while  EUery  eyed 
him,  he  raised  his  hat  and  bowed  gravely,  with 
a  deferential  air  that  became  him. 

^^So,"  exclaimed  Norris  under  his  breath, 
^^that  was  why  we  tore  like  madmen  to  catch 
this  boat!" 

*^It  would  have  been  a  pity  to  lose  it,''  Dick 


146  JEWEL  WEED 

responded  innocently.  ^^It  is  a  delicions  bit 
of  scenery  from  here  to  the  fort.  I  wanted 
yon  to  see  it." 

''Pink  and  white  scenery  with  yellow 
curls,"  jeered  Ellery. 

Dick  made  no  reply  and  Ellery  went  on. 

' '  She  has  a  young  man  already.  You  can 't 
go  and  take  her  away  from  him.  That 
wouldn  't  be  playing  fair. ' ' 

''The  man  with  her  is  an  oaf.  He  has  a 
loose  mouth  that  wabbles  when  he  opens  it 
to  pick  his  teeth. ' ' 

"So  you  think  that  though  you  may  not 
snatch  her  bodily,  you  may  make  her  wish  to 
be  with  you  instead  of  with  him,  and  that  the 
wish  will  lie  fallow  in  her  heart.  Dick,  you 
are  a  student  of  human  nature, ' '  Ellery  said, 
half  amused,  half  irritated. 

"I  dare  say  he  is  a  gentleman  at  heart. 
Oafs  always  are." 

"What  you  really  do,"  Ellery  continued, 
"is  to  make  her  uncomfortable  and  conscious 
of  his  clothes  and  his  sprawl.  She  flushed 
when  she  saw  you,  and  she  has  been  sitting 
stiffly  ever  since. ' ' 

"Oh,  drop  it,  Norris." 

Ellery  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"I  don't  know  what  you  want  to  do  it  for," 


THE  FALLS  147 

he  said.  ^^  You're  a  queer  combination,  Dick, 
of  the  whole-souled  reformer  and  the  abject 
goose." 

*  ^  Nothing  inconsistent  about  being  a  philan- 
thropist and  a  philogynist.  By  Jove !  She's 
pretty  in  her  malaise,  pink,  and  pecking  like 
a  little  wren  at  her  oaf.  EUery,  it's  a  brute 
of  a  shame  that  such  as  she  should  be  cast  be- 
fore him — she,  a  fine  lacy  creature  who  shows 
her  breeding  through  it  all. ' ' 

^^How  much  are  you  in  earnest? '^ 
^^ There  you  go  again!"  Dick  turned  on 
his  friend  with  a  kind  of  exasperation. 
*'You  belong  to  that  period  of  social  develop- 
ment when  they  ask  a  man's  intentions  if 
he  looks  twice  at  the  girl  he  dances  with.  I 
don't  have  to  be  in  earnest,  thank  Heaven! 
But  when  I  get  a  chance  to  look  at  anything  so 
lovely  as  that  girl,  I  mean  to  do  it,  just  as  I 
look  at  a  flower  or  a  picture.  I  don't  mean  to 
lose  all  the  delicious  froth  of  life.  Do  you 
happen  to  know  her  first  name  ? ' ' 

*  ^  Lena, ' '  answered  EUery  shortly. 
^^Lena!    It's  a  delicate  fragile  little  name 

— ^not  meant  for  a  girl  who  has  to  plug  her 
way  through  life.  Her  real  name  is  Andro- 
meda, poor  child — chained  to  the  rock  and 
momently  expecting  the  jaws  of  poverty." 


148  JEWEL  WEED 

*^You  know,  Dick,  the  attention  that  seems 
like  a  trifle  to  you,  with  a  life  full  of  interests, 
may  look  like  a  serious  affair  to  her. ' ' 

^'See  here,  old  man,  you  needn't  be  so 
snippy.  Must  I  confine  my  philanthropy  to 
the  old  and  ugly  to  keep  it  above  suspicion? 
I'm  just  so  far  interested  in  this,  and  no 
more,  that  I'm  sorry  for  that  little  girl,  and  if 
I  saw  a  chance,  I'd  do  her  a  good  turn,  as  I 
pass  along;  and  if  I  didn't  think  more  of  you 
than  of  any  other  man,  I  wouldn't  give  you 
the  satisfaction  of  rendering  so  much  of  an 
account  of  myself. ' ' 

EUery  was  silent  and  looked  at  the  river 
with  its  whirlpools,  at  the  cliffs,  gray  with 
stone  and  pale  green  with  May,  and  some- 
times at  Dick,  who  leaned  forward  with  his 
chin  in  his  hand,  apparently  absorbed  in 
thought,  but  occasionally  shooting  a  glance  at 
Lena  who  laughed  and  chattered  with  Mr. 
Nolan  in  a  sort  of  intermittent  fever. 

The  steamer  tooted  and  splashed  at  the 
landing  below  the  fort,  and  turned  herself 
about  for  the  return  trip.  Sand-martins 
dropped  from  their  holes  in  the  cliffs  and 
skimmed  across  the  bows,  and  the  breeze  blew 
fresher  as  they  headed  up  stream.  Still  the 
two  friends  sat  in  silence,  though  once  Per- 


THE  FALLS  149 

cival  looked  across  and  laughed,  as  though  he 
enjoyed  the  other's  seriousness. 

^^Norris,  you  are  funny,"  he  said. 

^^Why?" 

''You  always  see  consequences  to  things." 

''Most  things  have  both  causes  and 
effects,"  Ellery  retorted,  ruffled. 

"I  deny  it,"  said  Dick. 

When  they  creaked  at  the  dock,  Dick  sud- 
denly pushed  forward  so  that  he  almost 
touched  Lena  in  the  crowd  that  was  hurrying 
to  shore. 

"Good  afternoon.  Miss  Quincy,"  he  said. 
"I  hope  you  have  enjoyed  this  little  sail  as 
much  as  I  have. ' ' 

Knowing  that  he  had  watched  her  ever 
since  they  started,  she  looked  up  at  him  with 
flushed  inquiry. 

"Yes,  it  was  lovely,"  she  said. 

"Come  on,  Lena,"  exclaimed  her  escort, 
seizing  her  arm.  ' '  I  guess  we  ought  to  hurry. 
There'll  be  an  awful  crowd  on  the  street- 
cars." 

"If  you'll  allow  me,"  said  Dick,  "I have  an 
automobile  up  near  the  Falls,  and  I'd  be  de- 
lighted to— " 

"We  come  by  the  cars  and  I  guess  they're 
good  enough  for  us  to  go  home  by,"  Mr. 


150  JEWEL  WEED 

Nolan  interrupted  ronghly.  ^^We're  block- 
ing the  way  here.  Come,  Lena."  He  glow- 
ered at  Dick's  lifted  hat  and  added  qnite 
audibly :  ' '  Confound  the  dude !  Thought  he 
could  cut  in,  did  he  ? " 

^^Now  then,"  said  Dick  as  he  dropped  back, 
'^the  oaf  made  a  mistake.  If  he'd  gracefully 
accepted  my  offer,  he  'd  have  gone  up  several 
pegs  in  her  estimation.  As  it  is,  when  her 
pretty  little  feet  get  trodden  on  by  the  crowd 
on  the  back  platform,  she  will  view  us  with 
regret  as  we  whizz  by.  Poor  little  Andro- 
meda ! ' ' 

They  loitered  as  the  other  ^^ trippers",  now 
filled  with  zeal  to  catch  the  trolley,  pushed 
past  them  up  the  glen,  and  soon  they  were 
practically  alone.  Nature  reasserted  her 
sway  as  though  there  had  never  been  laughter 
and  babble  along  the  musical  stream  and  un- 
der the  over-arching  trees.  The  friends 
walked  more  and  more  slowly.  A  white  thing 
lay  on  the  path  before  them,  and  Dick  stoop- 
ed to  pick  it  up,  while  EUery  looked  on  with 
mild  curiosity. 

'^It's  a  letter,  stamped  and  sealed."  Per- 
cival  peered  at  it  closely,  for  though  the  level 
sunlight  flooded  the  tops  of  the  trees,  down 
here  by  the  stream  it  was  fast  growing  dark. 


THE  FALLS  151 

' '  Not  much  sealed,  either, ' '  he  added,  notic- 
ing what  a  tiny  spot  of  the  flap  stuck  tight  to 
the  paper  beneath.  ' '  Some  one  has  dropped 
it  here.  By  Jove,  EUery,  it's  addressed  to 
William  Barry!  I'd  give  a  farm  in  North 
Dakota  to  know  what's  in  it." 

He  turned  it  again  and  stared  at  the  back. 

*^I  noticed,"  said  Ellery,  ^'that  there  was  a 
mail-box  near  where  we  left  the  automobile. 
You  can  post  it  as  we  go  along." 

*^Yes,"  assented  Dick.  He  glared  at  the 
name  of  William  Barry  as  though  it  fasci- 
nated him.  Then  he  tucked  the  letter  into  his 
breast  pocket. 

As  the  motor  began  to  champ  its  bit,  Norris 
remarked : 

^^You  forgot  to  mail  that  letter,  Dick." 

^  ^  So  I  did, ' '  said  Dick.  ' '  No  matter.  I  '11 
post  it  in  town.    It  will  go  all  the  quicker." 


CHAPTER  IX 

AN  INVITATION 

A  full  month  slipped  away  after  the  little 
excursion  down  the  river  before  Dick  saw 
Lena  Quincy  again.  In 'fact  he  had  almost 
forgotten  her.  That  day,  if  it  was  recalled  at 
all,  was  chiefly  memorable  because  it  marked 
a  change  in  his  attitude  toward  his  chosen  oc- 
cupation. It  seemed  that  revelation  after  re- 
velation poured  upon  him.  The  intricate 
threads  of  city  politics  fascinated  him  more 
and  more  as  he  began  to  understand  whence 
they  led  and  whither. 

But  one  day  on  the  street  Dick  met  and 
passed  Lena.  She  gave  him  a  little  bow — 
wistful,  it  seemed  to  him,  and  she  looked  tired 
and  thin.  His  conscience  smote  him.  He 
had  really  meant  to  do  a  common  kindly  thing 
to  cheer  this  girl,  but  it  had  slipped  his  mind. 
That  night  he  hunted  up  her  address  in  his 
note-book  and  found  his  way  to  the  dismal 
lodging-house. 

152 


AN  INVITATION  153 

Four  cheap-looking  young  persons  were 
loitering  in  the  parlor,  two  were  drumming 
on  a  piano  that  was  out  of  tune,  and  the  room 
smelled  fusty.  The  assembled  group  giggled 
and  disappeared  upon  his  entrance,  and  Lena, 
when  she  came  down  stairs,  flushing  with  em- 
barrassment and  pleasure,  looked  as  much  out 
of  place  as  he  felt.  He  stood  before  her,  hat 
in  hand.  It  would  be  impossible  to  talk  to  her 
in  such  a  room. 

^^Miss  Quincy,"  he  said,  ^4t  is  such  a  per- 
fect night  that  it  is  neither  more  nor  less  than 
self-torture  to  stay  indoors.  Can't  you  be  a 
bit  unconventional  and  go  out  with  me  to  the 
band  concert  in  the  park  ? ' '  He  remembered 
that  she  went  about  with  the  oaf. 

Lena  hesitated.  She  realized  that  this  call 
was  a  crucial  affair  to  her,  though  his  long 
delay  in  coming  proved  it  to  be  a  casual  mat- 
ter to  Mr.  Percival.  She  must  make  no  mis- 
take. In  her  instant's  hesitation,  while  her 
soft  eyes  were  looking  inquiringly  into  his 
face,  she  had  an  inspiration. 

^^I  should  love  it,  Mr.  Percival,"  she  said 
with  that  little  air  of  reserve  that  set  her 
apart.  ^^But  don't  you  see,  I — I — can't  go 
with  you — until — until  you  know  my  mother 
and  unless  she  approves." 


154  JEWEL  WEED 

^^Of  course,"  said  Dick,  quite  unconscious 
of  Lena's  play-acting. 

Lena  turned  and  twisted  a  bit  of  worn  blue 
plush  trimming  on  the  shelf  over  the  gas-log 
before  she  showed  him  a  blushing  face. 

'  ^  The  only  thing  I  can  do  is  to  ask  you  to 
come  up  stairs  and  meet  mother.  She  can 
hardly  move  about  enough  to  come  down. ' ' 

She  led  the  way  with  anxiety  in  her  heart 
as  to  how  her  mother  would  behave.  Would 
she  show  irritable  astonishment  if  Lena  treat- 
ed her  with  gentle  deference,  and  asked  her 
permission  to  b^  out  in  the  evening  with  a 
strange  young  man?  But  Mrs.  Quincy  knew 
a  thing  or  two  as  well  as  her  daughter,  and 
Dick  saw  only  that  the  room  was  very  ugly, 
that  Lena  moved  about  with  lips  compressed 
and  voice  gentle  and  full  of  tender  considera- 
tion, to  make  her  mother  as  comfortable  as 
possible  before  she  went  away. 

^^And  I  shan't  keep  you  up  late,  mother, 
dear,"  Lena  said  with  a  final  kiss  that  made 
Mrs.  Quincy  wink  to  keep  back  the  statement 
that  she  saw  herself  waiting  for  the  return  of 
her  daughter. 

The  fresh  evening  air  was  delicious  after 
this.  Dick  felt  all  his  chivalry  again  stirred. 
It  made  no  difference  that  Lena  said  little 


AN  INVITATION  155 

to  keep  up  her  share  in  the  conversation. 
Dick  was  content  to  do  the  entertaining  him- 
self, and  satisfied  when  Lena  laughed.  He 
bubbled  over  with  fancies  old  and  new,  and 
even  the  old  ones  took  fresh  life.  The  college 
stories  and  jokes  that  everybody  knew,  the 
commonplaces  of  his  world,  set  Lena  exclaim- 
ing with  delight.  The  excitement  of  the  night, 
and  they  two  alone  in  the  crowd,  made  the 
little  girl  cling  to  his  arm  for  fear  they  might 
be  separated!  There  were  quieter  moments 
when  they  wandered  to  the  outskirts  and 
found  a  bench  for  a  moment's  rest. 

Once  he  spoke  of  some  of  the  rough  sides 
of  her  work,  and  she  answered  quietly  that 
she  was  used  to  such  things  and  managed  to 
forget  their  hardship.  Dick  glanced  at  her 
face,  self-contained  in  the  gas-light.  He  re- 
membered her  mother  and  the  ugly  room.  He 
had  a  vision  of  a  sweet  spirit  bearing  an 
adverse  fate  with  dignity,  and  now  giving 
him,  in  return  for  his  small  act  of  courtesy, 
the  perfume  of  her  presence,  her  beauty,  her 
wondering  admiration.  For  the  time  it 
seemed  to  Lena  herself  that  she  was  what  he 
fancied  her.  She  was  only  showing  him,  she 
thought,  the  best  side  of  herself.  It  was 
natural  that  she  should  hide  the  other. 


156  JEWEL  WEED 

The  clock  in  the  steeple  far  above  tinkled 
out  ten,  and  Lena  drew  herself  to  attention. 

^  ^  Oh,  not  yet, ' '  Dick  exclaimed.  ' '  Let 's  go 
somewhere  and  get  an  ice. ' ' 

Again  Lena  hesitated.  Even  so  small  a 
luxury  tempted  her  for  its  own  sake,  and  she 
liked  to  be  with  Mr.  Percival.  With  Jim 
Nolan  she  would  have  gone  in  a  moment,  but 
she  was  determined  that  this  man  should  not 
think  her  too  easy  of  access. 

'*I  think  not,"  she  said  reluctantly.  ^^I 
must  go  home  to  mother.  She  isn't  used  to 
being  up  late,  and  she  needs  my  help. ' ' 

She  knew  that  she  had  answered  well  when 
he  urged : 

^^Very  well,  then.  If  you  will  give  such 
very  little  nibbles  of  your  time,  you  must  give 
me  more  of  them.  Will  you  come  out  again 
— to  the  theater — off  in  the  motor — any- 
where ? ' ' 

Lena  could  hardly  speak,  but  she  smiled  up 
her  thanks. 

'^Oh,  Mr.  Percival!"  she  said. 

As  he  walked  away  after  seeing  her  home, 
he  felt  himself  irritated  with  the  other 
women,  the  women  to>  whom  ease  and 
pleasure  are  a  matter  of  course. 

So  they  fell  into  the  way  of  making  little 


AN  INVITATION  157 

expeditions  together,  and  Dick  no  longer 
joked  with  EUery  about  this  delectable  morsel 
of  pinkness,  but  kept  his  growing  intimacy  to 
himself.  This  dell  by  the  way,  into  which  he 
had  strayed  by  accident,  was  becoming  more 
fascinating  than  the  crammed  highway  with 
its  buzzing  life. 

July  and  August  and  September  passed 
and,  in  spite  of  her  reserve,  Dick  felt  that  he 
was  coming  to  know  little  Lena  well.  He  had 
told  her  all  about  himself,  his  mother,  his 
three-cornered  intimacy  with  Norris  and 
Madeline,  his  plans  for  his  own  future,  and  to 
all  she  listened,  sometimes  with  a  dreamy  far- 
off  look  in  the  big  eyes,  sometimes  with  a 
swift  smile  of  sympathy,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  he  and  his  point  of  view  were  often 
puzzling  to  her.  And  he  brought  dainties  and 
flowers  to  the  dingy  room. 

Lena,  on  her  side,  thoroughly  enjoyed  some 
phases  of  her  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Percival. 
Apart  from  all  other  considerations,  it  was 
a  real  pleasure  to  prove  herself  the  actress 
she  knew  she  was.  She  pretended,  when  she 
was  with  him,  that  she  was  a  wholly  different 
kind  of  person.  It  was  fun  to  do  it  well  and 
convincingly  and  deliberately.  It  was  ex- 
hilarating. 


158  JEWEL  WEED 

But  deeper,  far  deeper  than  her  histrionic 
satisfaction  lay  the  hope  that  Dick  Percival 
might  be  the  key  to  some  other  kind  of  life 
than  that  she  led ;  and  as  the  months  went  by, 
this  hidden  intimacy,  delicious  to  him  because 
of  its  very  remoteness,  began  to  irritate  her. 
Was  he  ashamed  of  her?  Was  he  playing 
with  her?  Privately  she  found  Prince 
Charming,  unless  he  meant  something  more 
than  a  half -hour  now  and  again,  something  of 
a  bore.  Of  what  pleasure  could  it  be  to  her 
that  he  was  rich  and  happy  and  full  of  plans 
and  in  touch  with  all  that  was  delightful,  if 
he  gave  none  of  this  to  her? 

One  evening  she  seemed  listless  as  she  sat 
enduring  an  account  of  a  garden  party  he  had 
been  to  the  day  before.  He  had  thought  it 
might  amuse  her,  but  it  evidently  didn't. 

*^I'm  always  telling  you  of  my  affairs,"  he 
said  half  querulously.  ^^Why  don't  you  give 
me  your  experiences?" 

^* There's  nothing  to  tell,"  she  said  dully. 
^^  You've  had  so  many  interesting  things  hap- 
pen, and  you  expect  ever  so  many  more  lovely 
things  to  come,  but  I've  always  been  pinched, 
and  I  shall  have  to  keep  on  pinching  for  ever, 
I  guess." 

'^ Nonsense!"  Dick  answered  impulsively. 


AN  INVITATION  159 

'^The  future  is  sure  to  bring  you  better 
things. ' ' 

She  looked  down  a  moment,  and  Dick  had 
an  impression  that  she  was  holding  back 
tears.  At  any  rate,  when  she  lifted  her  head 
again,  her  face  wore  a  cold  little  stare  that  he 
had  never  seen  before,  and  that  seemed  to 
hold  him  at  arm's  length. 

'^I'm  quite  alone  with  the  people  I  have  to 
live  among,"  she  said.  ^^I'm  not  like  them, 
and  I  don 't  care  for  them. ' ' 

' '  Am  I  one  of  your  kind  ? ' '  Dick  asked.  He 
reviled  himself  the  next  moment  for  having 
said  so  much,  but  Lena  seemed  to  draw  no  in- 
ferences, though  her  color  heightened  a  little 
as  she  answered: 

'  ^  Oh,  you !  There 's  only  one  of  you,  unfor- 
tunately. You  are  a  little  oasis  in  my  desert. 
I'm  very  grateful  for  you,  but — " 

Lena  had  said  such  things  before.  Dick 
began  to  revolve  plans  for  a  larger  kindness, 
and,  in  his  slow  masculine  intellect,  fancied 
that  it  was  all  his  own  idea  to  try  and 
bring  this  small  person  into  contact  with  those 
who  would  appreciate  her  and  with  whom  she 
could  be  happy, — for  of  course  Lena  herself 
was  quite  submissive  to  her  lot. 


160  JEWEL  WEED 

To  Dick's  friends  this  long  summer  daw- 
dled itself  away  much  as  the  previous  one  had 
done.  There  were  the  same  week-ends  at  the 
lake,  with  Dick  more  full  of  vivacity  than 
ever,  Ellery  growing  more  certain  of  himself, 
Madeline  rounding  slowly  out  of  girlhood 
into  womanhood.  Yet  there  was  a  difference. 
Half  a  dozen  Sundays,  when  Percival  was 
too  busy,  Ellery,  half-irritated  with  his  friend, 
half -exultant  in  his  desertion,  spent  the  quiet 
afternoons  a  deux  with  Madeline. 

It  seemed  to  Norris  that  some  indefinable 
change  was  coming  over  Dick.  At  times  he 
was  vivid,  even  fantastic,  and  again  he  lapsed 
into  erratic  silences  out  of  which  he  came  at 
new  and  unexpected  points.  He  developed 
ideas  that  appeared  to  his  friend  not  quite  in 
keeping  with  the  sterling  Dick  of  old.  He 
was  less  sensitive,  so  thought  Ellery,  in  his 
code  of  honor  as  he  saw  more  and  more  of 
the  crooked  ways  of  men.  Once  Norris  met 
him  walking  with  one  of  the  cheaper  alder- 
men, and  he  wore  a  duplicate — in  gilt — of  the 
alderman's  walk  and  swagger.  He  talked 
politics  and  reform,  but  with  less  emphasis  on 
his  ideals  and  more  on  the  game,  which 
seemed  to  mean  the  fun  of  catching  the  ras- 
cals red-handed  and  turning  them  out. 


AN   INVITATION  161 

Madeline,  as  Ellery  studied  her,  was  un- 
aware of  any  change  either  in  Dick  himself 
or  in  his  attitude  toward  her.  It  was  like  her 
to  be  above  suspicions  or  small  jealousies. 

So  summer  slipped  into  October,  and  there 
came  a  month  of  lovely  days.  Winter,  after 
a  feint,  slunk  into  hiding  again,  and  the  only 
result  of  his  excursion  was  a  more  splendid 
red  on  the  maples,  a  more  glowing  russet  on 
the  oaks.  Indian  summer  reigned  in  his 
stead,  flinging  broadcast  her  gorgeous  colors 
and  her  melting  mellowness.  That  men 
might  not  surfeit  of  her  sweets,  she  tempered 
her  daytime  prodigality  of  heat  by  nights  of 
frost.  People  were  coming  back  to  town,  a 
few,  very  few,  in  velvet  gowns,  but  mostly  in 
rags  and  anxious  about  their  autumn  ward- 
robes; and  yet  these  were  days  to  make  one 
long,  as  one  does  in  spring,  for  the  smell  of 
the  good  brown  earth  and  the  sniff  of  untaint- 
ed country  air.  The  atmosphere  was  full  of 
glowing  warmth  that  penetrated  to  the  heart 
and  made  every  face  on  the  street  reflect  some 
of  its  delight;  for  autumn  with  her  thousand 
charms  and  witcheries  was  proving  that  she 
died,  not  from  gray  old  age,  but  in  the  full- 
ness of  her  prime. 

Madeline  Elton,  therefore,  wished  herself 


162  JEWEL  WEED 

back  again  with  the  fallen  maple  leaves  and 
the  pines  that  held  their  own ;  and  Mrs.  Lenox 
was  fitting  temptation  to  desire  as  the  two 
hobnobbed  over  cnps  of  tea  in  easy  friendli- 
ness. When  Dick  Percival  appeared,  Mrs. 
Lenox  saw  the  way  to  make  her  bait  irresist- 
ible. 

^^Dick,"  she  cried,  '^jnst  the  man!  Don't 
you  pine  for  sunshine  in  your  nostrils  instead 
of  city  smoke?  Doesn't  the  thought  of  win- 
ter coming,  cold  and  long,  make  you  appre- 
ciate these  last  heavenly  gleams?  Do  you 
remember  what  a  delicious  week  you  and  Mr. 
Norris  and  Madeline  spent  with  me  a  year 
ago?" 

^^Yes,  to  everything,"  said  Dick.  ^^All  of 
which  means — what?  No  cream,  please, 
Madeline. ' ' 

'^AU  of  which  means,"  answered  the  lady, 
^^that  Mr.  Lenox  and  I  are  wise  in  our  genera- 
tion and  do  not  fly  to  the  city  when  the  first 
birds  go  south ;  that  I  want  Madeline  to  come 
and  pay  me  a  visit ;  that,  as  a  kind  of  sugar- 
plum, a  chromo,  if  you  please,  to  induce  her 
to  buy  my  wares,  I  propose  that  you  and  Mr. 
Norris  should  join  us  on  the  Sunday  of  next 
week.    What  do  you  say  ? ' ' 

*^May  the  Lord  prosper  you,  and  I'll  do  my 


AN  INVITATION  163 

part  as  an  attraction,"  Dick  replied  heartily. 
^^Bnt  I  choose  to  be  a  sugar-plum  rather  than 
a  chromo,  especially  if  Madeline  is  going  to 
eat  me." 

^*I  didn't  need  any  additional  inducement, 
iMrs.  Lenox,"  said  Madeline.  ^^ Yourselves 
and  all  out-doors  are  surely  sufficient.  It  will 
be  good  to  get  away  from  the  grime.  Now 
what  bee  have  you  in  your  bonnet,  Dick?" 
For  a  new  look  had  come  into  his  face  as  she 
spoke. 

Percival  had  been  glancing  around  the 
cheerful  comfortable  room  whose  very  books 
and  pictures  suggested  peace  of  mind.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  he  looked  with  Lena's 
longing  eyes  rather  than  with  his  own, 
familiar  with  these  surroundings.  He  was 
thinking  how  little  his  small  courtesies  count- 
ed, and  how  much  these  women  could  do  if 
they  chose.  Why  shouldn't  he  be  bold? 
Madeline  and  Mrs.  Lenox  were  simple-heart- 
ed enough  to  take  his  plea  at  its  true  value, 
and  not  misunderstand  his  motives.  They 
would  be  interested  in  Lena  in  exactly  the 
same  way  he  was.  He  smiled  at  Madeline's 
serenely  inquiring  face. 

''Well,  Dick?"  she  asked  again. 

''I  was  wondering  whether  I  dared  to  sug- 


164  JEWEL  WEED 

gest  a  little  act  of  human  kindliness  to  you 
two.  You  women  are  so  much  more  ready  to 
do  such  things  than  men  are,  but  we  are  more 
apt  to  run  up  against  the  cases  where  it  is 
needed.  There's  a  pathetic  little  girl  doing 
some  hack  work  for  the  Star.  Norris  knows 
her.  She's  just  one  of  those  delicate  crea- 
tures that  ought  to  live  in  the  sheltered  comer 
of  a  garden,  and  she 's  out  on  a  bleak  prairie. 
She's  about  as  much  like  the  people  she  has  to 
associate  with  as  an  old-fashioned  single  rose 
is  like  a  cabbage.  Even  her  mother,  who  is 
the  only  relative  she  has,  is  nothing  but  a  fret- 
ful porcupine  of  a  woman.  I've  been  to  see 
them  a  few  times  and  the  situation  seems  to 
me  almost  intolerable.  If  ever  a  girl  needed 
a  friend  or  two,  it's  she — not  for  charity,  you 
understand,  but  just  for  real  contact  with 
people  of  her  own  kind.  Now  a  man's  not 
much  use  in  such  circumstances,  is  he?  But 
naturally  I  think  you  are  about  the  best  kind 
of  a  friend  in  the  world,  so  I  came  up  this 
afternoon  partly  to  see  if  you  wouldn't  give 
her  a  hand. ' ' 

^^It  sounds  as  though  it  might  be  more  of 
a  pleasure  than  a  painful  duty." 

' '  So  it  would.  You  'd  take  to  her,  I  know, '  ^ 
the  young  man  went  on  eagerly.    Mrs.  Lenox 


AN  INVITATION  165 

watched  him  in  somewhat  irritated  amuse- 
ment. ^^She  hasn't  your  brains,  of  course, 
Madeline,  but  she  has  such  charm,  such  sim- 
plicity and  freshness,  that  you  can't  help 
liking  her.  And  she  grubs  away  at  perfectly 
uncongenial  work,  and  lives  with  this  fusty 
old  mother  in  a  fusty  little  lodging-house.  It 
makes  me  sick  to  think  of  such  daily  cruci- 
fixion. I've  no  business  to  say  it,  I  know ;  but 
when  you  spoke  about  a  week  at  the  lake,  I 
couldn't  help  thinking  what  such  a  thing 
would  mean  to  her.  She'd  think  herself  in 
Paradise." 

^^I  suppose,  Dick,  that  this  is  your  adroit 
and  tactful  way  of  suggesting  that  I  should 
ask  her, ' '  Mrs.  Lenox  said,  laughing. 

And  Madeline,  who,  if  Dick  had  proposed 
that  Mrs.  Lenox  should  turn  her  very  charm- 
ing summer  home  into  an  orphan  asylum, 
would  have  considered  that  the  proposition, 
as  coming  from  him,  was  entitled  to  consider- 
ation, put  in : 

^^I  think  it  would  be  a  lovely  thing  to  do, 
Vera." 

^^And  we  should  probably  let  ourselves  in 
for  a  frightful  bore." 

^^And  you  might  entertain  an  ang'el  un- 
awares," said  Dick 


166  JEWEL  WEED 

Mrs.  Lenox  knit  her  brows  and  meditated. 
She  didn't  quite  like  Dick's  championship  of 
this  unknown  girl,  nor  did  she  trust  to  his 
judgment ;  but,  like  a  wise  woman,  she  wanted 
to  know  what  was  the  thing  that  had  attract- 
ed him,  and  was  big  enough  in  heart  to  be 
willing  to  do  a  good  turn  wherever  she  could. 

^^This  is  the  oracle  of  the  Pythia,"  she  said 
at  last.  ^^We  will  not  commit  ourselves  to 
anything  at  the  behest  of  Richard  Percival. 
On  my  way  to  the  station,  now,  in  fact,  Made- 
line and  I  will  go  to  see  this  rose  among  cab- 
bages. We  will  introduce  ourselves  as  your 
friends,  Dick.  If  we  think  you  are  a  mere 
deluded  male  thing,  there  the  matter  ends. 
If  we,  too,  are  carried  away  by  enthusiasm, 
we  will  invite  her  on  the  spur  of  the  moment, 
and  Mr.  Lenox,  who,  like  most  married  men, 
is  a  connoisseur  in  pretty  girls,  can  talk  to 
her.    Will  this  suit  you,  Dick?" 

^^Excellently,"  said  Dick,  ^^I  know  the  re- 
sult." 

' '  Then  you  '11  come  next  Saturday  ?  Made- 
line is  coming  day  after  to-morrow  and  I'll 
write  to  Mr.  Norris.  Heaven  send  these  days 
of  sun  continue.  Now  if  we  are  to  pay  this 
call,  and  I  am  to  catch  my  train,  we  must 
be  off." 


AN  INVITATION  167 

Miss  Quincy,  having  quarreled  with  her 
mother  over  her  extravagance  in  buying  a 
feather  boa  with  the  proceeds  of  her  last 
small  check,  was  seated  by  the  window,  indus- 
triously concocting  a  new  hat.  The  Swedish 
^^girl",  whose  unfortunate  fate  it  was  to  min- 
ister to  the  wants  of  Mrs.  Olberg's  lodgers, 
gave  a  kind  of  defiant  pound  on  the  door, 
opened  it  and  thrust  in  a  disheveled  blond 
head,  followed  by  a  hand  puckered  from  the 
dish-water. 

^^Haar's  cards.  Miss  Quincy,"  she  said. 
^^Dar's  twa  ladies  down  staars." 

She  dropped  the  cards  on  the  floor  and  dis- 
appeared. Lena,  in  great  curiosity,  picked 
them  up  and  read  aloud: 

''  'Mrs.  Francis  Lenox;  Miss  Elton.'  " 

''For  the  land's  sake!  Who  air  they?'' 
asked  her  mother. 

' '  Two  of  the  biggest  swells  in  town. ' ' 

"Well,  what  on  earth  do  they  want  here? 
We  ain't  very  swell." 

"Perhaps  they  want  me  to  report  some 
party  or  something,"  said  Lena. 

She  was  losing  no  time  in  giving  her  hair 
one  or  two  becoming  jerks  and  going 
through  a  series  of  wriggles  meant  to  impart 
grace  and  style  to  her  costume. 


168  JEWEL  WEED 

''Perhaps  they  want  to  give  you  a  million 
dollars,"  said  Mrs.  Qnincy  sarcastically. 

Lena,  with  heart  burning  with  mingled 
shame  at  her  own  shabby  surroundings,  curi- 
osity at  their  errand,  and  awe  for  the  mighty 
names,  entered  the  little  parlor  which  gave 
the  impression  of  never  having  been  cleaned 
since  it  was  born  with  its  cheap  worn  plush 
furniture,  its  crayon  portraits  and  its  two 
vases  of  gaudy  blue  and  gold.  She  faced  the 
two  ladies  seated  on  the  impossible  chairs. 
Lena  was  almost  as  startling  an  apparition  in 
that  room  as  was  Eam  Juna's  rose  in  the 
dusty  phial — ^whether  a  miracle  or  a  clever 
trick.  She  looked  so  untouched  by  any  vul- 
garity in  her  surroundings,  so  fresh  and  true, 
so  instinct  with  virgin  dignity,  that  the  eyes 
that  met  her  own  were  filled  with  the  tribute 
of  surprise;  and  she  exulted  in  some  hidden 
corner  of  her  soul. 

In  the  half -hour  that  they  spent  together 
she  measured  her  new  acquaintances  care- 
fully. 

''And  these  are  women  of  the  world!"  she 
said  to  herself.  "Why,  they're  boobies.  I 
could  do  them  up  any  time." 

For  Lena  did  not  know  that  women  of  this 
type  are  the  most  protected  creatures  on  the 


AN  INVITATION  169 

face  of  the  earth.  The  knowledge  of  good  is 
given  them,  but  not  the  knowledge  of  evil. 

So  she  told  them  all  about  herself,  which 
was  what  they  seemed  to  want  to  hear,  and 
when  they  went  away  Madeline  said : 

*^I  wonder  if  there  are  many  such  born  to 
blush  unseen.  What  an  exquisite  little  trag- 
edy she  is!" 

And  Mrs.  Lenox  answered:  ^^U — u — ^m! 
Well,  I've  asked  her,  haven't  I?  I  think  the 
microbe  of  Dick's  impulsiveness  must  have 
got  into  me." 

Lena  stood  back  in  the  shadow  of  the  room 
to  watch  her  departing  guests.  Then  she  ran 
up  stairs  with  light  steps,  ruffling  her  plumes 
like  a  cocky  little  lady-wren  as  she  went  back 
to  the  dreariness  where  Mrs.  Quincy  sat  rock- 
ing her  inevitable  creaking  chair. 

^^Well?"  asked  her  mother  after  a  pause, 
a  pause  just  long  enough,  the  daughter  knew, 
to  fill  her  with  irritable  curiosity. 

^^Well,"  Lena  answered  smartly,  '*and 
what  do  you  think?  They  came  to  call,  if  you 
please,  because  Mr.  Percival  asked  them  to; 
and  they  were  sweet  as  honey.  And  Mrs. 
Lenox  asked  me  to  spend  a  whole  week  at  her 
country  place." 

''For  the  land  sake!" 


170  JEWEL  WEED 

*'I  guess,"  Lena  went  on  with  complacence, 
^^Mr.  Percival  must  have  said  something 
pretty  nice." 

Her  mother  stared  at  her  speechless,  and  it 
was  snch  an  nnnsnal  thing  for  Mrs.  Qnincy  to 
be  struck  dumb  that  Lena  was  correspond- 
ingly elated  as  she  rattled  on. 

' ' Such  dresses !  I'd  give  anything  to  have 
such  clothes  and  wear  them  with  that  kind  of 
an  every-day,  don't-care  air.  My,  but  Mrs. 
Lenox  is  a  stunner!  But  the  Lenoxes  are 
just  rolling  in  money;  and  they  say  Mr. 
Lenox  hadn't  a  red  cent  when  she  married 
him  and  gave  him  his  start.  It's  lucky  I  have 
another  check  coming  from  the  Star.  I'll 
need  more  things  than  ever  it  will  buy  to  go 
out  there.  I  must  begin  to  get  ready  right 
away. ' ' 

The  mention  of  expenditure  brought  Mrs. 
Quincy  back  to  her  normal  state  of  mind,  and 
she  resumed  her  rocking.  Lena's  means  and 
extremes  in  shopping  were  her  standard 
grievance. 

^^I  might  know  that  'ud  be  the  next  thing. 
Of  course  you'll  be  spending  every  penny  you 
can  rake  and  scrape  on  clothes,  so's  to  look 
fine  for  your  new  fine  friends.  It's  no  matter 
about  me.    I  can  go  without  a  decent  rag  to 


AN  INVITATION  171 

my  back,  so  long  as  youVe  got  feathers  and 
flummery. ' ' 

^^Well,  I  earned  the  money.  I  don't  see 
why  I  shouldn't  spend  it.  I'm  not  robbing 
you, ' '  said  Lena  sulkily. 

^^You  might  contribute  a  mite  to  your  own 
board." 

^^I'U  save  you  my  board  for  a  week," 
snapped  the  girl. 

Mrs.  Quincy  changed  her  tack.  ''And 
leave  me  shut  up  in  town,"  she  resumed.  ''I 
should  think  you'd  think  twice,  Lena,  before 
you  went  off  gallivantin'  and  left  your  poor 
old  mother  here  alone.  Nobody  seems  to 
think  I  need  any  pleasure." 

''I'll  write  and  ask  Mrs.  Lenox  if  she  won't 
take  you  instead  of  me. ' ' 

' '  Take  me !  I  should  think  not !  I  wouldn  't 
be  hired  to  leave  my  own  place  and  go  off 
like  a  charity  case  among  a  lot  of  rich  people 
who  looked  down  on  me  because  I  was  poor. 
I've  got  too  much  self-respect  to  jump  at  an 
invitation,  like  a  pickerel  at  a  frog.  But 
there!  You  never  think  twice  about  things." 

"Suppose  I  did  refuse.  You'd  fly  out  at 
me  for  not  making  the  most  of  my  chances," 
said  poor  Lena,  on  the  verge  of  tears. 

Mrs.  Quincy  was  temporarily  silenced  by 


172  JEWEL  WEED 

the  truth  of  this  reply,  and  Lena  pursued  her 
advantage. 

^  ^  Come  now,  mother,  do  you  want  me  to  get 
out  of  it?" 

^^Oh,  I  suppose  you'll  have  to  go,  or  I  won't 
have  no  peace  to  my  life,"  Mrs.  Quincy 
grudgingly  responded. 

^' Yes,  you  shall.  If  you  say  so,  I'll  give  it 
up  now  and  never  say  another  word  about  it. ' ' 

'^And  act  injured  to  death,"  said  her 
mother.    ' '  No,  you  go ! ' ' 

*^  After  you've  done  everything  you  can  to 
spoil  it  for  me,"  answered  Lena,  not  half 
realizing  how  well  she  spoke  the  truth,  and 
how  both  by  inheritance  and  by  precept  her 
mother  had  trailed  the  serpent  over  her  life. 
To  Lena,  fortune  and  misfortune  were  still 
things  of  outward  import,  and  almost  synony- 
mous with  possession  and  non-possession. 
Yet,  in  spite  of  Mrs.  Quincy 's  dour  looks, 
Lena  found  herself  singing  as  she  moved 
swiftly  about  the  room.  Spontaneous  joy 
was  a  rare  thing  with  her.  The  first  peep 
into  the  delectable  world  was  entrancing. 


CHAPTER  X 

BITTER-SWEET 

It  was  all  charming,  if  a  little  strange — 
the  friendliness  of  Miss  Elton  when  Lena  met 
her  at  the  station,  the  smart  trap  and  groom 
that  met  them  at  the  end  of  their  short 
journey,  the  very  way  in  which  Miss  Elton 
took  possession  of  those  awe-inspiring  ob- 
jects, and  the  respectful  curiosity  of  the 
loungers  at  the  country  station.  As  she 
stepped  into  the  carriage,  Lena  caught  a 
glimpse  of  a  cart-horse  with  so  many  ribs  as 
to  suggest  that  the  female  of  his  species  had 
yet  to  be  created.  He  looked  so  like  her 
mother,  that  he  gave  her  a  spasm  of  anguish 
which  she  tried  to  forget,  as  they  were 
whirled  down  the  road  with  its  fringe  of 
straight-limbed  trees.  Never  had  the  world 
looked  more  lovely.   Her  spirits  were  lifted  up. 

Mrs.  Lenox  met  them  at  the  door  with  hos- 
pitable effusiveness,  but  Lena's  crucifixion 
began  from  that  moment. 

173 


174  JEWEL  WEED 

^ '  The  man  will  carry  your  bag  up  for  you, ' ' 
said  Mrs.  Lenox. 

As  Olaf  obediently  stepped  forward,  Lena 
flushed  and  thought:  ^^They  both  noticed 
that  it  was  only  imitation  leather. ' ' 

Mrs.  Lenox  walked  up  stairs  with  them, 
chattering  gaily  with  Madeline,  and  Lena  fol- 
lowed in  embarrassed  silence  at  the  charm- 
ing freshness  and  daintiness  of  everything 
about  her. 

''I've  put  you  and  Miss  Elton  in  adjoining 
rooms,"  said  Mrs.  Lenox,  smiling  kindly  at 
her,  ''so  that  you  needn't  feel  remote  and 
lonely  on  your  first  visit  here." 

The  man  put  down  the  bag  and  disap- 
peared, and  a  trim  maid  came  forward  to  help 
Lena  off  with  her  coat  which,  with  a  sudden 
pang,  she  wished  were  lined  with  satin  in- 
stead of  sateen. 

"Sail  Ay  unpack  you  bag?"  said  the  little 
maid  politely. 

' '  No,  thank  you.  I  prefer  to  do  it  myself, '  ^ 
said  Lena  desperately.  It  was  more  than 
she  could  endure  to  have  a  strange  girl  spying 
out  the  nakedness  of  the  land.  Yet  when  the 
little  maid  said,  "Vary  well,  ma'am,"  and 
walked  into  the  next  room,  Lena  wondered  if 
she  had  made  a  mistake.     She  heard  Miss 


BITTEE-SWEET  175 

Elton's  cheerful  address  of  the  appalling  per- 
sonage with  the  puffed  up  bit  of  hair  and  the 
saucy  cap. 

^^How  do  you  do,  Sophie?" 

^^Good  day,  mees.  As  thar  anything  Ay 
can  do  for  you?" 

^^I  fancy  my  dress  would  be  better  for  a 
good  brushing  after  the  dusty  train,  and  the 
gown  I  want  is  in  the  top  tray  of  the  little 
trunk,  Sophie." 

The  door  closed  and  Lena  wondered  in 
terror  what  of  her  small  store  of  finery  she 
ought  to  put  on,  and  when  she  ought  to  go 
down  stairs.  She  solved  the  first  question  to 
the  best  of  her  ability  and  sat  down  on  the 
edge  of  a  very  clean  beflowered  chair  in  de- 
spair about  the  other,  when  there  came  voices 
in  the  hall,  and  Madeline  tapped  on  her  door, 
and  called : 

^^ Don't  you  want  to  come  out  and  see  the 
baby?" 

Now  Lena  detested  babies  as  sticky  and 
order-destroying  vermin,  but  in  relief  she 
she  said:     ^^A  baby?     Oh,  how  lovely!" 

^^Come,"  said  Mrs.  Lenox.  ^^The  proper 
study  of  womanhood  is  baby."  Lena  went 
out  to  find  a  very  small  person  in  a  very  tot- 
tering condition,  steered  up  and  down  the  hall 


176  JEWEL  WEED 

by  another  be-capped  maid  who  was  holding 
tight  to  his  rear  petticoats,  while  Mrs.  Lenox 
trotted  by  his  side,  pnlling  a  woolly  lamb  that 
baa  'd  with  enchanting  precision,  and  allowing 
her  skirts  to  be  worried  by  a  small  puppy, 
whose  business  in  life  was  to  bite  anything 
hard  that  lay  on  the  floor  or  that  wiggled. 
Mrs.  Lenox  and  Miss  Elton  sat  down  on  the 
floor  to  towsle  and  to  be  towsled  amid  laugh- 
ter and  hair-pulling  and  frantic  yelps  from 
the  puppy,  while  Lena  looked  on  and  said: 
''Isn't  he, cunning?"  and  wondered  whether 
she  ought  to  sit  on  the  floor  or  not.  She 
wondered  if  this  were  indeed  the  millionaire 
Mrs.  Lenox  of  whom  she  read  with  awe  from 
the  ''In  the  swing"  column  as  being  present 
at  such  and  such  "society  functions",  thus 
and  thus  attired. 

Somehow  Mrs.  Lenox,  seated  on  the  floor, 
with  her  hair  over  one  eye,  disconcerted  Lena 
more  than  any  amount  of  grandeur  would 
have  done.  She  felt  as  one  might  who  should 
catch  the  Venus  of  Melos  cutting  capers. 
Then  the  redoubtable  lady  jumped  up,  tucked 
in  a  few  hair-pins,  gave  a  final  shake  to  her 
small  son  and  said : 

"I  dressed  little  Frank  myself  this  after- 
noon.   Don^t  you  think  I  did  a  g'ood  job? 


BITTEE-SWEET  177 

Dressing  a  baby  combines  all  the  pleasures  of 
the  chase  with  the  requirements  of  the  exact 
sciences,  Miss  Quincy.  Now  let's  go  down 
and  have  some  tea  before  big  Frank  gets 
home.  I  think  we've  time  for  a  little  friendly 
chat." 

This  time  Lena  followed  with  greater  sense 
of  security.  She  knew  her  dress  was  pretty 
and  becoming,  though  inexpensive ;  and  as  for 
conversation,  that  to  Lena's  mind  meant 
clothes  and  society,  with  which  she  felt  a 
journalistic  familiarity. 

'* Perhaps  you  prefer  cream  in  your  tea?'* 
said  Mrs.  Lenox,  with  hand  poised  over  the 
little  table. 

^^No,  thank  you,  I  like  lemon,"  answered 
Lena,  who  had  never  tasted  it  before  and  now 
thought  it  very  nasty  indeed.  Then  she  won- 
dered why  she  had  told  such  a  small  useless 
lie. 

But  it  was  comfortable  to  be  in  a  big  lovely 
room  with  a  pile  of  logs  blazing  in  a  great 
fireplace,  and  soft  lamps  shedding  a  glow 
rather  than  making  spots  of  light.  She 
wished  she  had,  like  Madeline,  picked  out  a 
very  easy  chair  instead  of  the  stiff  one  she 
had  selected,  but  she  felt  too  shy  to  move  until 
Mrs.  Lenox  suggested  it,  and  then  she  was 


178  JEWEL  WEED 

embarrassed  because  she  was  embarrassed. 
She  wondered  if  she  should  ever  be  able  to  do 
things,  like 'these  women,  without  thinking  of 
what  she  was  doing. 

Madeline  was  idly  turning  the  pages  of  a 
magazine  and  now  she  held  it  up. 

^^Look  at  these  illustrations.  Aren't  they 
stunning?" 

''I  don't  know,"  said  Mrs.  Lenox.  ^^I'm 
growing  tired  of  that  kind  of  thing.  It  isn't 
art;  it's  a  fad.  The  trouble  with  most  of 
this  modem  work  is  that  it  is  too  smart  and 
fashionable.  The  clothes  are  more  important 
than  the  people." 

'  ^  Quite  a  contrast  to  ancient  art,  where  the 
people  were  everything  and  the  clothes  noth- 
ing," Madeline  retorted.  ^^  After  all,  I 
rather  like  the  modern  way.  The  old  Greeks 
were  not  a  bit  more  real  people.  They  were 
nothing  but  types." 

^*And  very  decapitated  and  de-legged 
types,"  said  Mrs.  Lenox  with  a  laugh.  ^^  And 
dirty,  too — like  the  Sleeping  Beauty.  Do  you 
know,  it  gives  me  the  shivers  to  think  of  the 
Sleeping  Beauty,  lying  there  for  ages,  with 
dust  and  cobwebs  accumulating  on  her.  I'm 
sure  I  hope  the  prince  gave  her  a  thorough 
dusting  before  he  kissed  her. ' ' 


BITTER-SWEET  179 

'^You  are  horribly  realistic,  Vera  —  a  per- 
son with  no  imagination. ' ' 

^^I  think  I  have  311st  shown  a  truly  vivid 
imagination. ' ' 

*^It  is  the  business  of  imagination  to  build 
up  a  world  of  loveliness  and  order." 

^^I  don't  agree  with  you.  I  think  it  is  the 
business  of  imagination  to  project  things  as 
they  really  are.  I  don't  want  to  slip  out  from 
under  reality  and  see  only  beauty.  Beware, 
Madeline,  or  you  will  degenerate  into  a  mere 
optimist. ' ' 

^^ Isn't  it  funny  that  if  your  opponent  can 
call  you  an  optimist,  he  feels  that  he  has  de- 
livered a  knock-down  blow  to  all  your  argu- 
ments ? ' '  Mrs.  Lenox  suddenly  pulled  herself 
together  and  turned  toward  Lena,  who  sat 
silently  drinking  her  tea  and  taking  no  part 
in  the  conversation. 

^^Did  you  tell  me  that  your  mother  is  an  in- 
valid, Miss  Quincy?" 

^^Not  exactly;  but  she  can't  go  about  much. 
It  seems  to  play  her  out  to  walk. ' ' 

^^It  must  be  very  hard  on  her  to  stay  in  the 
house  all  the  time.  I  wonder  if  I  might  take 
her  to  drive  with  me  once  in  a  while?"  A 
scarlet  flush  passed  over  Lena's  face  at  the 
very  idea  of  her  mother's  querulous  vulgarity 


180  JEWEL  WEED 

being  displayed  to  this  woman,  and  Mrs. 
Lenox  could  not  help  seeing  her  embarrass- 
ment. 

A  little  wave  of  pity  swept  over  the  older 
woman.  It  must  be  a  cruel  fate  to  be 
ashamed  of  one's  surroundings.  Mrs.  Lenox 
herself  was  one  of  those  serious-minded  per- 
sons who  regard  their  opportunities  as  re- 
sponsibilities. She  waged  constant  warfare 
with  the  dominion  of  externals,  and  believed 
with  all  her  heart  that  the  life  was  more  than 
raiment ;  but  a  momentary  doubt  assailed  her 
as  to  whether,  after  all,  it  might  not  be  easier 
to  conquer  things  when  one  owned  them, 
rather  than  when  one  had  to  do  without  them. 
It  has  generally  been  Dives  who  is  repre- 
sented as  enslaved  by  the  goods  of  this  world. 
Perhaps  Lazarus,  if  his  heart  is  absorbed  in 
sordid  longing  for  what  others  have  and  he 
has  not,  stands  just  as  poor  a  chance  of  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven. 

What  could  she  do  to  make  Miss  Quincy 
feel  at  ease?  The  girl  certainly  had  brains 
and  character.  Dick  had  told  them  of  her 
brave  bearing  of  burdens.  This  stiff  back 
and  this  silence  were  but  the  tribute  of  shy- 
ness to  new  surroundings.  So  ran  Mrs. 
Lenox's  swift  thoughts  and  she  set  herself  to 


BITTER-SWEET  181 

make  Lena  talk  about  the  things  with  which 
she  was  familiar,  to  link  her  past  to  this 
present. 

Evidently  the  same  thought  was  flitting 
through  Madeline's  brain,  for  before  Mrs. 
Lenox  spoke  she  began : 

^^Do  you  know,  Miss  Quincy,  I  have  felt  a 
little  envy  of  you  ever  since  Dick  first  told  us 
about  you. ' ' 

^^Envy!  Of  me?"  Lena  exclaimed,  moved 
to  genuine  surprise. 

^^  Yes,"  Madeline  went  on,  leaning  forward, 
eager  to  explain  herself.  ^^You  see,  I  seem 
to  have  had  a  good  deal  of  training,  which 
looks  as  though  it  should  prepare  me  to  do 
something,  and  then  —  then  I  don't  do  any- 
thing. It  makes  me  feel  flat  and  unprofitable. 
I'd  like  to  feel  like  you  every  night  —  as 
though  I'd  really  accomplished  a  thing  or 
two." 

*^ Isn't  it  like  Madeline  to  try  to  make  the 
girl  feel  the  dignity  of  drudgery?"  Mrs. 
Lenox  said  to  herself. 

The    stuck-up    thing!"    thought    Lena; 

rubbing  it  into  me  that  she  does  not  have  to 
work  for  her  living." 

She  was  tempted  to  make  a  sharp  answer, 
but  remembered  her  diplomacy  and  held  it  in. 


182  JEWEL  WEED 

'^Work  isn't  always  so  pleasant  when 
you're  in  it,"  she  said. 

^^  Everything  is  apt  to  look  rongh  around 
the  edges  until  you  hold  it  off  and  get  a  view 
of  it  as  a  whole,"  Mrs.  Lenox  put  in.  ^^Even 
love — sometimes.  But  I  think  that,  next  to 
love,  work  is  about  the  best  thing  in  life. ' ' 

'^Oh,  that  depends,"  Madeline  cried. 
^^When  I  read  papers  at  clubs,  people  talk 
about  my  ^work',  but  nobody  thinks  that  it  is 
worth  while.  I'd  like  to  earn  a  dollar,  just 
as  a  guaranty  that  some  one  thought  the  thing 
I  did  was  worth  it. ' ' 

^^ Gracious!"  Lena  exclaimed  in  genuine 
surprise.  '  ^  Do  you  really  feel  that  way  about 
earning  money  ? ' ' 

^^ Don't  you?"  Madeline  asked  in  return; 
and  each  looked  at  the  other  uncomprehend- 
ingly. 

'^No,  I  don't,"  Lena  burst  out  sullenly,  but 
forgetting  to  be  shy.  ^^I  feel  degraded  by 
every  dirty  five-dollar  bill  I  get  by  being  a 
slavey.  People  make  you  feel  that  way. 
You  get  it  rubbed  into  you  every  day. ' ' 

^^No,  no,"  Mrs  Lenox  cried,  remorseful 
now  that  their  talk  had  drifted  into  such  inti- 
mate personalities.  *'I  am  sure,  Miss 
Quincy,  nobody  feels  that  way  about  a  woman 


BITTEE-SWEET  183 

that  works,  except,  perhaps,  people  whose 
opinion  you  can  well  afford  to  despise." 
This  was  a  shaft  that  struck  so  near  home 
that  Lena  could  hardly  hold  back  the  tears. 
*^I  am  sure  I  think  a  thousand  times  more  of 
a  woman  who  does  her  honest  share  than  I  do 
of  the  helpless  ones  who  lie  down  on  some- 
body else  and  whine,"  Mrs.  Lenox  went  on. 

Madeline  was  inwardly  bemoaning  her  own 
lack  of  tact.  She  really  wanted  to  make  a 
friend  of  this  girl,  because  Dick  had  asked  her 
to,  and  here,  at  the  very  beginning,  she  had 
stumbled,  and  all  that  was  meant  to  show  her 
regard  and  sympathy  but  served  to  make  a 
gulf  between  them. 

Mrs.  Lenox  darted  a  look  at  her  and  sprang 
suddenly  to  her  feet. 

*^0h,  here's  Frank,"  she  exclaimed  with 
an  air  of  relief.  ^^Oome  in,  boy,  and  have 
some  tea  and  fire.  It  was  good  of  you  to 
come  so  bright  and  early. ' ' 

*^ Earlier  than  bright,  I'm  afraid,"  he  said. 

Lena  looked  with  interest  toward  the  door. 
Frank  Lenox  was  great  in  St.  Etienne,  first 
because  he  was  the  son-in-law  of  old  Nicholas 
Windsor,  a  potentate  of  the  first  local  magni- 
tude, and  second,  because  he  was  pushing  to 
still  greater  success  the  enterprises  that  the 


184  JEWEL  WEED 

elder  man  had  begun.  So  people  talked  about 
him  in  the  street-cars  by  his  first  name. 
Lena  felt  that  it  was  a  privilege  to  look  at 
him,  big,  clean,  with  that  mingling  of  alert- 
ness with  power  which  is  the  characteristic  of 
the  American  business  man.  It  was  an  ex- 
perience of  absorbing  interest  to  see  the  half 
underhand  caress  he  gave  his  wife  in  passing, 
and  to  find  herself  actually  shaking  hands 
with  him.  He  seemed  imposing  and  friendly 
and  yet  quite  like  other  people,  as  he  looked 
around  for  a  capacious  chair  and  his  wife 
handed  him  a  cup  of  tea.  She  was  conscious 
that  he  looked  at  her  with  great  interest. 
She  recognized  the  expression  in  masculine 
eyes  and  it  soothed  her  ruflQed  spirit.  It  was 
the  constant  aflfirmation  of  her  beauty,  a 
beauty  which  had  in  it  something  dream-like 
that  made  men's  eyes  dream.  After  all,  she 
could  always  get  along  with  men. 

^ '  If  you  'd  know  what  brought  me  home  be- 
fore my  time,  it  was  not  your  charms,  my 
dear,  but  a  mad  desire  to  get  away  from 
Harris,  who  cornered  me  and  opened  up  the 
negro  question.  I  saw  nothing  for  it  but  to 
take  to  the  woods." 

'*It  makes  my  traditional  abolition  blood 
boil  to  see  how  public  opinion  seems  to  be 


BITTER-SWEET  185 

settling  down  and  dallying  with  heresy  and 
injustice  again,"  Madeline  exclaimed.  She 
looked  flushed  and  vigorous,  and  Lena  stared 
at  her  and  wondered  how  she  could  care  for 
such  things.    Was  it  pure  affectation? 

*^0h,  you're  young,  my  dear,"  said  Mrs. 
Lenox  laughingly.  *^  You  must  hold  all  your 
opinions  violently.  And  you  haven't  been 
South.  Things  can't  help  looking  different 
down  there. ' ' 

^^Vera!"  cried  Miss  Elton  so  explosively 
that  Lena  sat  up  straighter  than  ever, 
^*  you 're  not  really  a  renegade  yourself,  are 
you?"  and  she  spoke  as  though  her  life  de- 
pended on  the  answer. 

^^ Certainly  not,"  Mrs.  Lenox  answered. 
^^But  I'm  growing  tolerant  toward  the  poor 
old  world  as  it  is.  I'm  willing  to  let  it  grow 
slowly  instead  of  insisting  that  it  shall  all  be 
immediately  as  good  and  wise  as  I  am.  I'm 
learning  to  respect  other  people's  point  of 
view  and  to  suspect  that  my  mind  is  not  such 
an  ingenious  mechanism  as  I  once  supposed 
it  to  be." 

^^  Moreover,  since  she  has  married,  she  has 
contracted  a  habit  of  taking  the  opposite 
point  of  view,"  said  her  husband. 

^^Oh,  that's  one  of  the  jokes  that  has  sue- 


186  JEWEL  WEED 

cessfuUy  withstood  the  ravages  of  time,"  said 
Mrs.  Lenox  scornfully. 

^^  Very  well,  then,  I'll  say  that  yon  are  get- 
ting on  toward  middle  life  and  have  had  your 
enthusiasms  corrupted  by  a  worldly-wise 
father  and  husband.  But  I  dare  say  that 
Miss  Quincy,  being  young,  is  quite  as  explo- 
sive as  you  are,  Madeline.  So  we  shall  be 
two  against  two." 

He  looked  with  a  challenge  toward  the  girl, 
and  perhaps  Lena  might  have  managed  the 
expected  saucy  answer  if  she  had  not  sud- 
denly remembered  that  her  shoes  were  shabby 
and  she  had  meant  to  keep  them  hidden  under 
her  skirts.  This  memory  destroyed  her  new- 
found equilibrium,  so  she  blurted  out  a  weak, 
^^I  really  don't  know  anything  about  it,"  and 
then  blushed  hotly  at  her  own  awkwardness. 

^^It's  a  stupid  subject,  anyway,"  said  Mr. 
Lenox.  ^^I  fled  from  town  to  avoid  it.  Let's 
not  talk  about  negroes." 

^'Tell  us  what  has  happened  in  the  great 
world,"  said  Mrs.  Lenox,  leaning  forward 
with  her  elbows  on  her  knees  and  chin  in 
hands. 

*' Another  Jap  victory,"  he  said.  ^^And 
I'll  take  a  second  one  of  those  little  cakes 
please,  if  Miss  Quincy  will  leave  one  for  me. 


BITTEE-SWEET  187 

It  cuts  me  to  the  heart  to  see  how  the  young 
girls  of  our  generation  stuff  on  little  cakes. 
If  they'd  only  take  example  by  these  same 
Japanese,  who  develop  strategy  and  patriot- 
ism on  rice,  cherry  blossoms  and  gymnastics, 
there 'd  be  some  hopes  for  ns  as  a  people." 

He  glanced  again  at  Lena  in  a  very  amia- 
ble manner,  as  though  he  expected  her  to  be 
saucy  in  return,  but  she  blushed  with  mystifi- 
cation and  mortification.  She  had  felt  doubt- 
ful as  to  whether  she  ought  to  take  another  of 
the  little  cakes,  but  they  were  very  good,  and 
she  was  young  enough  to  love  goodies,  with- 
out many  chances  at  anything  so  delectable  as 
these  particular  bits.  And  now  tO'  be  de- 
tected and  made  fun  of !  She  began  to  ques- 
tion if  she  should  be  able  to  get  along  with 
these  men,  after  all. 

^^ Thank  you,"  he  went  on  after  a  pause. 
^^And  now  that  I'm  comforted  with  cake,  an- 
other cup  of  tea.  Vera ;  and  then,  if  you  would 
complete  my  happiness,  just  give  me  a  posy 
out  of  that  bouquet  for  my  buttonhole. ' ' 

His  wife  rose,  pulled  a  flower  from  a  vase 
and  pinned  it  to  his  coat. 

*^ Here's  mignonette!  That's  for  divi- 
dends," she  said,  and  she  put  her  fingers  in 
his  hair  and  gave  his  head  a  little  shake. 


188  JEWEL  WEED 

** Don't  infringe  on  my  head, —  it's  patent- 
ed," he  said.  ^^Now  go  and  sit  down,  and  I 
will  tell  you  something  really  exciting  as  well 
as  instructive.  I  know  about  it  because  I 
have  the  privilege  of  helping  the  good  work 
with  a  few  dollars.  Professor  Gregory  has 
dug  up  two  or  three  hundred  old  manuscripts 
somewhere  near  Thebes,  and  he  cables  that 
they  belong  to  the  first  century  after  Christ, 
that  he  expects  them  to  illuminate  most  of  the 
dark  recesses  of  the  time,  and  that  I  am  privi- 
leged to  share  the  glory  by  making  an  ample 
contribution.  Doesn't  that  stir  your  young 
blood?  I  never  hear  of  these  things  without 
a  passionate  desire  to  go  to  some  respectably 
aged  land  and  dig  and  dig  and  dig.  It's  a 
choice  between  doing  so  and  making  things  in 
this  very  new  land  for  some  other  fellow  to 
dig  up  six  thousand  years  from  now.  Which 
would  you  choose.  Miss  Quincy?" 

Lena  was  extraordinarily  pretty,  and  he 
had  a  theory  that  pretty  girls  were  made  to 
be  talked  to.  Lena  thought  so  too,  yet  all 
she  said  was,  ^^I  should  think  the  digging 
would  be  very  dirty  work,  though." 

He  glanced  at  her  swiftly,  and,  though  there 
was  nothing  unfriendly  in  the  look,  she  felt  an 
uncomfortable  shiver.     She  fell  into  a  miser- 


BITTER-SWEET  189 

able  silence  which  she  hardly  broke  when  the 
others  addressed  her  with  a  deliberate  ques- 
tion or  made  some  manifest  effort  to  include 
her  in  topics  introduced  for  her  benefit. 
These  attempts  were  only  too  apparent  to  her 
and  rasped  her  soul  the  more.  These  people 
had  such  a  perplexing  way  of  saying  what- 
ever came  into  their  heads.  They  were  seri- 
ous and  frivolous  at  unexpected  places. 
They  were  not  at  all  ^'elegant";  they  were 
natural,  but  their  naturalness  was  not  of 
Lena's  kind.  Mr.  Lenox  rose  and  smiled  at 
his  wife. 

^^I  think  I  must  go  and  have  a  look  at  my 
latest  son,"  he  said.  ^^He  is  a  very  interest- 
ing person.  At  present  he  seems  to  be  com- 
posed of  two  simple  but  diverse  elements,  a 
stomach  and  a  sense  of  humor."  At  the 
door  he  paused  again  and  said,  ^^Have  you 
seen  our  new  coat  of  arms,  Madeline? — two 
kids  rambunctious  ? ' ' 

He  went  away  and  sounds  of  manifest 
hilarity  floated  down  the  stairs.  And  then 
dinner  was  announced,  and  he  looked  so  good- 
tempered  when  he  returned  and  gave  Lena 
his  arm  that  her  spirits  were  again  lifted  up. 
She  had  never  before  been  escorted  to  a  meal 
as  though  it  were  an  affair  of  ceremony. 


190  JEWEL  WEED 

*^I  met  an  old  fellow  to-day,"  her  host  be- 
gan with  persistent  attempt  to  draw  her  out, 
* '  that  told  me  that  for  two  years  he  had  dined 
on  bread  and  milk.  And  then  I  felt  that  I 
was  a  favorite  of  fortune  to  be  able  fearlessly 
to  storm  the  dining-room.  Happy  the  appen- 
dix that  has  no  history." 

Lena  giggled  helplessly.  Was  it  amuse- 
ment that  she  saw  in  Mr.  Lenox's  eyes  as  he 
unfolded  his  napkin  and  surveyed  her? 

^^It's  an  awesome  thing,  isn't  it,  to  be 
living  in  a  world  darkened  on  one  side  by  the 
servant  question  and  on  the  other  by  the  ap- 
pendix, like  Scylla  and  Charybdis?" 

She  found  herself  sitting  down  to  face  the 
mysteries  of  a  meal  whose  type  was  different 
from  any  hitherto  met  in  her  brief  experi- 
ence of  life.  Her  internal  summing  up  was, 
*^0f  course  I  can't  make  any  impression  on 
Mr.  Lenox.  He  likes  the  other  kind  of 
woman." 

She  looked  at  Mrs.  Lenox,  a  woman  of  re- 
straint and  dark  hair  and  straight  lines,  and 
contrasted  her  with  herself,  a  thing  of  curves 
and  sunshine  colors.  She  did  not  know  that  a 
man  never  cares  for  a  type  of  woman,  but 
only  for  woman  in  the  concrete.  Poor  little 
Lena !    When  the  evening  was  over  and  she 


BITTEE-SWEET  191 

found  herself  at  last  in  her  too-splendid  bed- 
room, she  put  arms  and  head  down  on  the 
dressing-table  and  sobbed.  These  people 
were  simple  where  she  was  complicated  and 
complicated  where  she  was  simple.  It 
was  all  uncomfortable  and  different.  She 
thought  of  Jim  Nolan's  unf rilled  conversa- 
tion, of  his  clumsy,  rather  inane  compliments, 
of  his  primitive  amoeba-like  type  of  humor. 
She  saw  the  whole  course  of  her  life  of  mean 
shifts  and  wranglings  with  her  mother;  and 
though  its  moral  niggardliness  was  unappre- 
ciated, its  physical  meagerness  sickened  her  in 
contrast  to  the  ease  and  beauty  of  these  newer 
scenes.  She  must  climb  out  of  that  life, 
somehow,  by  hook  or  crook ;  if  this  were  the 
alternative,  she  must  grow  to  its  likeness,  no 
matter  how  the  birth-pangs  hurt.  She  would 
face  it.  She  would  even  rejoice  in  the  oppor- 
tunity to  study  these  women  and  mold  herself 
to  their  outward  form  of  hien  aise.  She 
would  —  she  would.  Faint  and  far-away 
voices  came  to  her,  and  she  wondered  if  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lenox  were  discussing  her  and 
laughing,  as  she  would  do  in  their  place,  at  her 
gaucheries.  The  meaner  you  are  yourself, 
the  easier  it  is  to  believe  in  the  meanness  of 
others.    It  was  the  most  godlike  of  men  who 


192  JEWEL  WEED 

taught  the  godliness  of  all  men.  Lena  could 
not  imagine  that  these  people  could  either  like 
or  respect  her  unless  she  were  molded  after 
their  pattern  and  had  as  much  as  they  had. 

And  Miss  Elton!  She  hated  Miss  Elton 
for  that  irritating  calmness,  for  that  easy  ap- 
propriation of  the  good  things  of  life.  She 
hated  with  a  hate  that  tingled  her  spine  and 
shook  her  small  body.  The  tragedy  of  little- 
ness made  her  grit  her  teeth  as  she  thought  of 
the  unconscious  girl  now  going  to  bed  in  the 
next  room. 

'^I'll  get  even  with  her  somehow,"  was 
Miss  Lena's  resolve.  ^^Just  let  me  get  the 
hang  of  things  a  little,  and  I'll  show  her!'' 
Miss  Quincy  was  conscious  that  though  she 
as  yet  lacked  knowledge  of  their  world,  she 
had  the  advantage  of  the  inheritance  of 
guile. 

But  things !  things !  things !  Lena  thought  a 
little  of  the  irony  of  it  —  that  all  her  life  she 
had  pined  to  be  set  in  luxury,  and  yet  now 
and  here  the  very  rugs  and  chairs  and  soft 
lights,  the  pictures  of  unrecognized  subjects, 
the  unfamiliar  delicacies  before  her  at  the 
table,  all  seemed  to  loom  up  and  crush  her 
into  insignificance  by  their  importance  and 
expensiveness.     They  were  her  masters  still. 


BITTER-SWEET  193 

But  it  was  not  Lena's  way  to  waste  her 
time  on  abstractions.  While  she  sat  and 
watched  her  fire  crumble  away  into  ashes, 
she  was  chiefly  occupied  with  the  concrete, 
and  there  entered  into  her  soul  and  took  pos- 
session of  its  empty  chambers  and  began  to 
mold  her  to  her  own  purposes  the  demon  of 
social  ambition,  which  is  not  the  desire  to  do 
or  to  be,  but  rather  the  longing  to  appear  to 
be  and  to  seem  to  do  —  to  take  the  chaff  and 
leave  the  wheat. 

Mastered  by  this  powerful  spirit,  Lena 
actually  did  make  great  strides  in  the  next 
few  days.  She  learned  to  lounge  quite  com- 
fortably, to  pretend  with  verisimilitude,  even 
to  chatter  a  little,  helped  chiefly  by  a  certain 
persistent  light-weight  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Lenox ;  but  the  life  was  hard  and  the  rewards 
meager.  All  the  time  she  suspected  Miss 
Elton  and  Mrs.  Lenox  of  despising  her,  be- 
cause she  had  so  much  less  than  they.  Their 
kindliness  was  but  an  added  insult. 


CHAPTER  XI 


POLITICS  AND  PLAY 


It  was  with  joy  that  Lena  stood,  on  Satur- 
day night,  with  Mrs.  Lenox  and  Miss  Elton 
on  the  veranda,  and  hailed  the  advent  of  a 
large  red  automobile,  which  disgorged,  be- 
sides Mr.  Lenox,  two  dress-suit  cases  and  two 
young  men.  Mr.  Percival  had  liked  her  in 
her  natural  state  and  with  him  she  would  not 
need  to  ^^put  on  style".  He  was  to  her  the 
shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  desperately  thirsty 
land.  The  only  kind  of  pretense  that  he  de- 
manded was  that  she  should  be  a  dear  inno- 
cent little  girl,  and  that  role  came  easily. 
She  smiled  and  blushed  and  saw  that  there 
was  a  difference  in  his  eyes  when  he  greeted 
her  from  the  look  he  bent  on  the  other  two 
ladies.  It  was  balm  to  her  spirit  to  think 
that  this  man,  who  admired  her,  was  himself 
admired  by  the  people  whom  she  suspected  of 
despising  her ;  and  that  they  did  admire  him 

194 


POLITICS  AND  PLAY  195 

was  evident.  They  were  hardly  seated  at 
dinner  before  Mrs.  Lenox  began : 

''Dick,  I  have  jnst  been  reading  your  last 
night's  speech  at  the  Municipal  Club  and  I'm 
quite  effervescing  with  it.  I  want  to  put  you 
up  on  a  pedestal  and  call  the  attention  of  Mr. 
Frank  Lenox  to  you.  He  is  one  of  the  in- 
numerable excellent  gentlemen,  over  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  who  are  so 
busy  running  everything  else  that  they  let 
city  politics  go  to  the  place  that  I'm  not  al- 
lowed to  mention.  It  does  my  heart  good  to 
see  you  taking  it  up  in  earnest." 

^^It  was  a  good  speech,  all  right.  I've 
read  it,  too,"  said  Mr.  Lenox.  *^  And  I'm  all 
the  wretch  my  wife  calls  me.  I  wish  I'd 
heard  you  in  your  frenzy,  Percival,  though 
I  have  less  faith  in  speeches  and  principles 
than  she  has.  Eeform  is  only  a  seed,  you 
know,  and  most  seeds  never  come  to  maturity 
or  bear  fruit.  So  most  people  justly  doubt 
the  reformer." 

^^Do  you  think  we're  thin  sound-waves  who 
do  nothing  but  vibrate  ? ' '  said  Dick. 

' '  Not  at  all ;  but  I  mean  there  are  no  such 
things  in  the  world  as  abstractions.  There 
are  only  men  and  women.  Thoughts  don't 
seethe;  men  and  women  seethe.     Principles 


196  JEWEL  WEED 

don't  reform  or  corrupt;  men  and  women  do 
the  reforming  and  corrupting.  If  you  want 
to  do  things,  don't  begin  by  making  the  air  re- 
sound with  denunciations  of  wickedness ;  but 
make  people  believe  in  you  and  despise  the 
other  fellow.  When  they  like  you  they'll  be- 
gin to  think  about  your  ideas." 

'^I  don't  know  any  better  way  to  make  peo- 
ple believe  in  me  than  to  stand  up  for  what  I 
think  to  be  right,"  said  Dick  sharply. 

^^ Stand  up  all  you  like,"  Lenox  answered. 
*^But  the  trouble  with  most  good  people  is 
that  they  are  contented  to  stand  up.  To  ar- 
rive anywhere  you've  got  to  get  right  down 
and  scrap. ' ' 

^^Oh,  I'm  only  trying  my  muscle  a  bit," 
Dick  answered  laughingly.  ^^I  do  not  intend 
to  do  much  generalizing  except  in  the  way  of 
advertisement.  I'm  planning  to  put  a  spoke 
in  the  wheels  of  a  few  particular  wrongs." 

*^ That's  what  I  hope.  It's  easier  to  fulmi- 
nate than  to  fight. ' ' 

^^Then  you'll  be  glad  to  know  that  Dick  has 
already  been  answerable  for  galvanizing  the 
Municipal  Club  into  new  life, ' '  EUery  put  in. 
*'It  has  been,  as  you  know,  a  delightfully 
scholarly  affair,  any  of  whose  members  were 
quite  capable  of  writing  a  text-book  on  civics ; 


POLITICS  AND  play;  197 

but  Dick  has  roped  in  a  lot  of  new  men  and 
stirred  up  the  old  ones." 

^^To  what  end!" 

^^Well,  for  two  things;  we  have  appointed 
committees  to  keep  close  tab  on  all  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  council — to  attend  every 
meeting — and  others  to  work  up  the  ward 
organizations  so  that  we  shall  be  prepared  to 
work  intelligently  and  together  by  the  next 
election.  We  want  to  get  some  clean  business 
man,  who  is  well  known,  to  stand  for  mayor. 
There's  a  chance  for  you,  Lenox." 

Lenox  laughed.  ' '  You  've  caught  me  there, 
haven't  you?  I  am  condemned  for  being  still 
in  the  stage  where  I  am  content  to  mention 
things  with  indignation.  However,  if  you 
have  really  gone  so  far,  I'm  more  than  will- 
ing to  trail  after  you.  I'll  at  least  back  you 
with  a  few  facts,  such  as  every  business  man 
knows,  and  I'm  good  for  a  substantial  con- 
tribution toward  any  campaign  you  may  un- 
dertake. And  what  I  do  there  are  others  who 
will  do,  too." 

^'I'U  not  forget  your  promise,"  said  Dick. 

As  usual,  when  men  talk  public  affairs,  the 
women  had  been  content  to  listen,  but  Made- 
line's  temperament  was  too  strong  for  her 
restraint. 


198  JEWEL  WEED 

^'It's  all  very  well  for  you  to  put  your  hand 
in  your  pocket,  Mr.  Lenox,"  she  cried,  '^but 
I  don't  want  to  hear  you  trying  to  undermine 
Dick's  idealism.  If  he  does  not  have  the 
comfort  of  some  purpose  higher  than  the 
daily  fight,  how  can  he  endure  it?  Don't  per- 
suade him  to  run  through  life  on  all  fours  and 
never  look  at  the  stars." 

Mr.  Lenox  looked  at  her  warmly. 

^  ^  Thank  the  Lord  for  you  women, ' '  he  said. 
^^You  do  not  forget  that  there  are  stars  and 
sky  above  the  city  smoke.  If  it  were  not  for 
you  and  your  kind,  I'm  afraid  most  of  the 
world  would  be  tied  to  the  ground  like  serfs." 

^^Oh,  I  fancy  nature  has  liberated  a  few  of 
you,  and  I  am  glad  to  believe  that  Dick  is 
among  the  free,"  she  said. 

She  sat  beside  Dick,  but  she  turned  from 
him  and  spoke  to  Mr.  Lenox.  When  Per- 
cival,  softened  by  her  words  and  the  tone  of 
belief  in  which  they  were  spoken,  looked  up, 
he  saw,  not  her  eyes,  but,  across  the  table, 
those  of  Lena,  big  and  sympathetic.  As  he 
gazed  into  them  he  saw  all  of  Madeline's 
confidence  in  him,  all  of  Madeline's  ideals, 
but  the  more  spiritual,  the  more  femi- 
nine, because  they  were  unspoken.  Lena's 
eyes  were  eloquent  even  if  she  was  silent;  in- 


POLITICS  AND  PLAY  199 

ternally  she  was  really  resenting  Madeline's 
tone,  which  seemed  to  her  to  assume  that  Dick 
was  somehow  Miss  Elton's  particular  prop- 
erty.- ^^ Perhaps  you  needn't  be  so  sure, 
missy,"  she  thought. 

After  dinner,  when  the  three  men  found 
their  way  to  the  drawing-room,  Mrs.  Lenox 
had  started  Madeline  on  a  career  of  song. 
She  was  already  in  the  midst  of  a  curious 
weird  Eoumanian  thing,  and  Norris  made 
straight  for  the  piano.  Lena,  ethereal  in  pale 
blue,  was  sympathetically  listening  to  perfec- 
tion. She  had  lost  her  look  of  incongruity 
with  her  surroundings.  The  dreamy  eyes 
and  the  transparent  skin  found  their  setting 
in  her  filmy  gown  and  the  rich  soft  light.  Dick 
drew  in  his  breath.  He  seemed  never  to  get 
used  to  her.  Naturally  he  found  a  seat  near 
her.     She  was  his  protegee. 

^* Don't  you  sing.  Miss  Quincy?"  was  his 
inevitable  query. 

And  she  replied  with  inward  anguish,  ^^Not 
at  all." 

*^But  I'm  sure  you  do.  You  look  like  in- 
carnate song,"  he  persisted.  *  ^You're  play- 
ing modest. ' ' 

Lena  cast  down  her  eyes  and  said,  ^^I  am 
a  very  truthful  little  girl. ' ' 


200  .     JEWEL  WEED 

^^Have  yon  had  a  good  time  here?'^ 

Then  she  looked  np  with  kindling  face. 
*^0h,  so  good!  Yon  can't  know  how  I  thank 
you,  Mr.  Percival.  I  know  I  owe  it  to  you. 
I  feel  as  though  I  were  breathing  the  air  I  be- 
long in,  at  last.  It's  so  different  from  —  but 
you  know  all  about  my  life,"  said  Lena 
brokenly.  '^  And  Mrs.  Lenox  is  so  sweet  and 
kind,  I  just  love  her!" 

'^AndJMiss  Elton?" 

Lena  stiffened  and  made  no  reply  for  an 
instant. 

^^Miss  Elton  is  quite  as  clever  as  you  men, 
isn't  she?"  Lena  asked,  in  quite  another  tone 
of  voice. 

^'Infinitely  more  so,"  said  Dick  cordially. 

*'Do  you  like  it?"  she  asked  in  a  breathless 
way. 

''Why,  yes,  in  Madeline,"  he  answered. 
"She  isn't  a  bit  priggish,  you  know,  but  just 
naturally  interested  in  everything  good. 
Why?     Don't  you  and  she  get  on?" 

Lena  gave  an  uneasy  little  twist  as  though 
she  did  not  enjoy  the  question,  and  she  sighed. 

"Why,  frankly,  I  don't  wholly.  It's  my 
own  stupid  little  fault,  of  course.  I'm  not 
clever.  She's  very  charming;  but  she  gets  a 
little  tiresome  to  me." 


POLITICS  AND  PLAY  201 

^^Does  she?"  said  Dick  ponderingly. 

^^It's  very  hateful  of  me  to  say  such  things 
about  your  particular  friend,"  said  Lena  con- 
tritely. ^^ Besides,  I  don't  mean — ^what  do  I 
mean?  I  never  thought  it  out.  But  it's  so 
easy  to  tell  you  everything,  Mr.  Percival. 
And  I  think  it's  rather  nice  for  a  girl  to  be 
more  silly  and  inconsequential  part  of  the 
time."  She  laughed  in  a  gurgling  little 
fashion. 

^^I  believe  it  is,"  said  Dick  speculatively, 
as  he  looked  at  her.  ^^But  Madeline's  aw- 
fully jolly,  you  know.  I've  had  more  good 
times  with  her  than  with  any  other  girl  I 
know.     No  nonsense  about  her. ' ' 

^^ That's  it, — ^no  nonsense,"  said  Lena,  and 
this  time  her  laugh  was  not  so  pleasant ;  and 
Dick  glanced  across  at  Madeline  with  a  kind 
of  resentment.  ^^It  isn't  like  Madeline  to 
go  back  on  a  fellow  that  way,"  he  said  to 
himself.  ^^Of  course  she's  had  all  kinds  of 
advantages  over  this  poor  little  thing;  but 
it's  small  of  her  not  to  forget  them.  I  trusted 
her  to  make  things  sweet;  and  for  the  first 
time  she  has  disappointed  me."  He  looked 
at  Madeline  with  a  distinct  feeling  of  irrita- 
tion as  she  rose  from  the  piano.  Mr.  Lenox 
came  and  absorbed  Lena,  whom  he  was  teach- 


202  JEWEL  WEED 

ing  to  answer  him  saucily.  Lena  enjoyed  this 
process,  and  it  had  inspired  her  to  a  really 
clever  device,  namely,  to  say  vulgar  little 
things  in  a  whimsical  way,  as  though  she 
knew  better  all  the  time  but  wanted  to  be 
humorous.  A  good  many  other  people  have 
had  the  same  brilliant  idea,  but  it  was  none 
the  less  original  to  Lena,  and  it  saved  a  lot 
of  trouble  and  pretense.  Norris  and  Miss 
Elton  were  hobnobbing  and  laughing  at  the 
other  end  of  the  room,  and  Dick  followed 
them. 

^^Have  you  been  out  of  town,  Dick?"  Made- 
line asked  as  he  came  up.  ^  ^  I  tried  to  get  you 
over  the  telephone  a  day  or  two  ago,  and  they 
told  me  you  were  away. ' ' 

^^Yes."  He  laughed  exultantly  as  he  sat 
down.  ^^I  ran  down  to  the  penitentiary  at 
Easton,  just  to  make  sure  that  I  wasn't  mis- 
taken in  a  fact  or  two." 

^^What  now?"  asked  Norris. 

^'IVe  been  told  that  Barry — the  lord  of 
St.  Etienne,  Madeline — is  at  last  tired  of  his 
humble  but  powerful  place,  and  intends  to 
show  himself  the  master  that  he  really  is  by 
running  himself  for  our  next  mayor.  Now 
even  this  docile  city  would  hardly  exalt  a  man 
whom  it  knew  to  be  a  criminal  with  a  record 


POLITICS  AND  PLAY  203 

of  two  years  in  the  pen, — under  another 
name,  of  course. ' ' 

^^Is  it  possible  that  Barry — " 

*^I  Ve  verified  my  facts.  There  is  only  one 
man  in  the  city  besides  myself  that  knows 
this,  and  he's  Barry's  closest  friend. 
There'll  be  a  jolly  old  sensation  in  the  bunch, 
when  I  spring  my  mine." 

' '  If  nobody  knows  it,  how  did  you  happen 
to  find  out?"  asked  Madeline  impulsively. 

There  was  just  a  moment's  silence,  and  in 
that  instant  Norris  had  a  flash  of  memory. 
He  seemed  to  see  Dick  eying  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  William  Barry,  Esquire.  Even 
while  he  remembered,  he  hated  himself  for 
daring  to  suspect  that  Dick  would  be  capable 
of  anything  really  shabby  or  dishonorable. 
Yet  he  did  suspect — nay,  more — ^he  was  sure ; 
and  the  pause,  the  look  of  innocent  inquiry  on 
Madeline's  face  grew  intolerable.  If  Dick 
would  say  nothing,  he,  Norris,  must. 

^^We  newspaper  men,"  he  rushed  in  gaily, 
*^get  hold  of  a  vast  amount  of  information 
that  people  flatter  themselves  is  secret." 

Percival  looked  at  him  and  grinned.  The 
girl  turned  slowly  from  her  amused  survey 
of  Dick  to  study  Ellery's  face,  which  showed 
his  discomfort  in  its  flush.    If  a  girl  so  gentle 


204  JEWEL  WEED 

could  feel  scorn,  EUery  would  have  thought 
he  detected  a  touch  of  it.  Certainly  there 
was  a  hint  of  grieved  surprise  as  she  spoke, 
with  her  eyes  still  fixed  on  Norris. 

'^I'm  very  sorry,  Dick,"  she  said  humbly. 
^'I  didn't  mean  to  be  prying.  I've  grown  so 
used  to  asking  you  about  everything.  Mr. 
Norris  ought  to  get  a  better  mask." 

She  laughed  lightly,  but  Ellery's  face  grew 
hotter.  He  wondered  if  she  suspected  him  of 
some  underhand  trickery,  and  Dick  realized 
it,  yet  kept  amused  silence.  For  an  instant 
he  hated  Dick,  and  felt  a  wild  impulse  to 
defend  himself;  but  second  thoughts  came 
quickly.  She  loved  Dick  and  was  therefore 
slow  to  impute  evil  to  him.  Dick  loved  her, 
and  if  he  had  for  once  played  the  petty  knave, 
it  was  the  place  of  a  friend  to  protect  her 
against  that  knowledge.  That  had  been  the 
instinctive  reason  for  Norris'  words,  and  he 
was  not  going  back  on  them  now.  Yet 
Ellery's  brain  whirled  to  think  how  swiftly 
and  by  what  simple  means  he  might  have  top- 
pled her  slowly-ripening  friendship  into  the 
mire.  Ellery's  imagination  piled  superla- 
tives on  every  act  and  expression  of  his  lady. 
If  she  looked  light  disapproval,  it  was  worse 
than  another's  scorn.    And  Dick — for  whom 


POLITICS  AND  PLAY  205 

he  had  thrown  away  the  thing  he  most  valued 
in  the  world — Dick  exclaimed  gaily : 

^^ Don't  be  suspicious,  Madeline.  Are  all 
secrets  disgraceful?  Can't  you  trust  your 
old  friends?" 

^^Of  course  I'm  not  suspicious,"  she  an- 
swered indignantly.  ^^I  only  mean  to  beg 
your  pardon,  Dick,  and  I  assure  you  again 
that  I'm  not  curious,  even.  I  asked  this  ques- 
tion as  I  have  asked  a  thousand  others,  and 

that  would  have  been  the  end  of  it except 

for  Mr.  Norris'  face." 

She  smiled  as  she  turned  away,  and  Dick 
lifted  his  eyebrows  and  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders as  much  as  to  say,  ^^What  difference 
does  it  make,  anyway?  What  difference!" 
Dick  didn't  care  whether  she  despised  EUery 
or  not — he  didn't  care  enough  to  speak  an 
honorable  word  of  explanation. 

Mrs.  Lenox  came  up  crying,  ^^Come,  my 
triple  alliance,  Frank  has  carried  Miss  Quincy 
off  to  the  billiard-room  to  give  her  a  lesson. 
Let  us  go,  too,  to  see  that  they  do  not  get  into 
mischief. ' ' 

Dick  hurried  away  to  usurp  Mr.  Lenox's 
place,  Madeline  tucked  her  arm  through  that 
of  Mrs.  Lenox,  and  Norris  was  left  to  follow 
in  outer  darkness. 


206  JEWEL  WEED 

When  bedtime  came,  Norris  detained  Per- 
eival. 

'^Come  out  for  a  smoke  and  a  turn,"  he 
said.  ^^The  night  is  frosty,  and  you'll  sleep 
all  the  better  for  a  sniff  of  fresh  air. ' ' 

^^What  are  you  so  glum  about T'  he  asked, 
as  Dick  tramped  in  silence. 

He  was  moody  and  enraged  himself,  but  too 
proud  to  let  his  anger  be  seen. 

^^Not  mad,  most  noble  Norris,  only  think- 
ing." 

^^ Unfold  your  thoughts." 

^'1  was  thinking  about  Madeline,"  an- 
swered Dick,  and  Norris'  heart  thumped,  for 
he  too  was  thinking  about  Madeline.  ' '  I  won- 
der if  the  kind  of  training  that  she  and  all 
girls  of  her  class  get  is  the  thing,  after  all. 
I'm  not  talking  about  knowledge,  you  under- 
stand. I'm  not  such  a  cad  as  to  grudge  a 
girl  the  best  there  is  in  the  world.  But 
there 's  something  else.  It 's  the  electric  femi- 
nine, I  suppose,  that  makes  them  the  powers 
behind  every  throne.  Fate  is  always  repre- 
sented in  petticoats,  you  know.  It  some- 
times seems  as  though  the  better-trained  girls 
had  all  that  side  of  them  kept  out  of  sight  and 
polished  into  nothingness.  Why  are  they 
taught  to  ignore  the  biggest  power  that's  in 


POLITICS  AND  PLAY  207 

them?  Why,  even  that  untrained  little  Miss 
Qnincy  is  vivid  with  some  sex-fascination 
that  the  more  fortunate  girls  do  not  often 
have. ' ' 

^ '  Oh,  she  is  only  a  colored  light.  The  sun- 
light has  all  other  colors  latent  in  itself. 
How  do  you  dare  to  make  any  comparison 
between  Miss  Quincy  and  your  lovely  Miss 
Elton?" 

^^ Great  Scott!  Don't  say  ^my  Miss  El- 
ton'!" Dick  exclaimed.  ^^ Madeline  doesn't 
belong  to  me."  And  he  added  politely, 
^^ Worse  luck!  She  and  I  have  always  been 
like  brother  and  sister.  That's  all  there  is  to 
it." 

^^Are  you  sure?"  demanded  EUery,  with 
hot  thrusts  of  mingled  anguish  and  exultation 
stabbing  through  his  bosom. 

^^Sure!"  said  Dick  equably.  '^  Why,  even 
if  I  loved  her,  my  dear  fellow,  I  should  know, 
from  her  unruffled  serenity,  that  there  was  no 
hope  for  me.  But  Madeline  isn  't  a  very  emo- 
tional creature,  EUery.  She  has  too  much 
brains  for  that, — a  girl  to  cheer  but  not  in- 
ebriate.'' 

^^I  don't  want  a  girl  to  make  me  drunk," 
ejaculated  Norris. 

^^Well,  I  do,"  rejoined  Dick. 


208  JEWEL  WEED 

^^  And  though  Miss  Elton's  emotions  do  not 
lie  on  the  surface,  I'll  warrant  they  are 
there,"  Ellery  went  on  as  though  letting  off 
pent-np  steam.  ^'They  are  like  her  voice — 
like  all  her  motions — neither  loud  nor  faint, 
but  exquisitely  modulated.  She  seems  to  me 
like  the  embodiment  of  innocence, — ^not  the 
innocence  of  ignorance,  but  the  untaintedness 
of  a  mind  that  goes  through  the  world  select- 
ing the  best,  as  the  bee  takes  honey  and  leaves 
the  rest.  There's  no  subject,  so  far  as  I  can 
see,  on  which  she  is  afraid  to  think ;  but  I  can 
not  imagine  that  any  subject  would  leave  a 
deposit  of  mire  in  her  mind." 

' '  Gee  whizz ! ' '  scoffed  Dick.  ^  ^  How  fluent 
your  year  of  journalism  has  made  you! 
What  a  great  thing  it  is  to  be  a  serious- 
minded  young  man  with  eye-glasses,  engaged, 
while  yet  in  youth,  in  molding  public  opinion 
through  the  mighty  agent  of  the  press !  And 
Madeline  is  another  of  the  same  kind." 

*^I  wish  I  were  of  her  kind,"  said  Ellery 
stiffly.  ^^You  may  poke  fun  at  me  as  much  as 
you  like,  Dick,  but  it's  beneath  you  to  jeer  at 
her." 

''You  old  duffer,  aren't  you  two  the  best 
friends  I  have  in  the  world?  I  like  the  clear 
and  frosty  mountain  peaks." 


POLITICS  AND  PLAY  209 

'^How  did  you  find  out  about  Barry?" 
Ellery  asked  abruptly. 

^*I  do  not  have  to  tell  you  any  more  than 
Madeline."  Seeing  the  grim  look  on  Norris' 
face,  Dick  went  on,  ^^ Let's  go  in  and  to  bed. 
We  seem  to  rub  each  other  the  wrong  way  to- 
night. If  we  don't  separate  soon  we  shall  be 
having  a  French  duel." 


CHAPTER  XII 

AN  ENGAGEMENT 

The  gates  of  the  delectable  world,  it  seemed 
to  Lena,  opened  very  slowly,  and  the  mild 
fragrance  and  warmth  that  dribbled  out  to 
her  through  their  narrow  crack  intensified  her 
outer  dreariness.  Once  in  a  while  Mrs. 
Lenox  or  Miss  Elton  did  her  some  little  kind- 
ness. Occasionally  Mr.  Percival  came  to 
see  her,  but  her  shame  of  her  mother  and  her 
home  made  these  visits  a  doubtful  pleasure. 
The  sordid  monotony  of  her  work  oppressed 
her  every  morning  and  depressed  her  every 
night.  The  little  money  that  she  earned  fell 
like  a  snow-flake  into  the  yawning  furnace  of 
her  desires.  Bitter  is  the  fate  of  her  to  whom 
the  goods  of  this  world  are  the  final  good,  and 
to  whom  those  goods  are  denied. 

There  came  a  night  when  a  certain  great 
lady  gave  a  dance,  and  Lena  was  deputed  by 
the  feminine  head  of  the  staff  of  the  Star  to 
report  these  doings  of  society.  At  first  the 
chance  looked  to  her  delightful.     She  was  to 

210 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  211 

have  a  peep  into  the  world  of  charm  which 
was  her  dream  and  her  ambition.  She 
walked  through  the  wide  empty  rooms  with 
their  soft  lights  and  masses  of  flowers.  She 
surveyed  the  dining-room,  a  wilderness  of 
candles,  orchids  and  maiden-hairs.  She  felt 
her  feet  sink  luxuriously  into  the  rugs,  oh,  so 
different  from  the  threadbare  ingrain  carpet 
at  home!  She  peeped  into  the  ball-room, 
smilax-draped  and  glowing  as  if  eager  to  wel- 
come the  guests  to  come.  Through  it  all  she 
carried  a  prim  air,  making  businesslike  notes 
on  her  little  pad ;  but  beneath  her  very  demure 
exterior  raged  a  storm  of  rebellion  that  these 
things  should  be  and  not  be  for  her.  The 
world  was  one  huge  sour  grape ;  and  yet  she 
must  smile  as  though  it  tasted  sweet. 
There  were  blurs  in  her  eyes  as  she  stumbled 
up  the  back  stairs,  whither  her  way  was 
pointed,  that  she  might  stand  in  a  corner  of 
the  dressing-room  where  the  now  fast-arriv- 
ing ladies  were  laying  off  their  wraps.  She 
swallowed  a  lump  in  her  throat  and  winked 
hard  in  the  attempt  to  forget  or  ignore  the 
careless  looks  thrown  at  her  by  these  ladies, 
as  the  maids  removed  the  long  cloaks  made 
more  for  splendor  than  for  warmth,  or  drew 
up  the  gloves  on  bare  arms  less  lovely  than 


212  JEWEL  WEED 

her  own.  Many  of  the  women  looked  twice  at 
her,  and  she  thought,  and  resented  the  fact, 
that  they  were  surprised  to  see  so  much  beau- 
ty. She  could  not  be  impersonal  like  the 
other  reporters, — sensible  girls,  taking  all 
this  as  a  part  of  the  day's  work,  and  whisper- 
ing names  to  one  another,  which  Lena,  too, 
must  catch  and  treasure  for  her  reportorial 
harvest.  She  must  glance  with  swift  inclu- 
siveness  at  the  more  striking  gowns,  that  later 
she  may  serve  them  up  in  the  technical  slap- 
dash of  the  social  column. 

An  hour  of  it  left  her  faint  and  sick,  not 
with  cynical  scorn  of  the  spectacle,  but  with 
longing  and  self-pity.  The  crowd  in  the 
dressing-room  was  thinning  now,  but,  whether 
she  had  finished  her  duty  or  not,  she  must 
escape.  She  could  endure  it  no  longer. 
Again  she  made  her  way  down  the  narrow 
non-angelic  stairs  and  out  at  a  little  side  door. 
The  night  air  was  sweet  and  cold.  She 
paused  for  a  moment  under  the  light  of  the 
porte-cochere  to  watch  the  string  of  carriages 
and  the  swirl  of  silk  and  laces  that  passed 
through  the  opening  door,  to  listen  to  gusts  of 
music  that  came  to  an  abrupt  end  as  the  out- 
side door  shut  on  her. 

Suddenly  a  figure  loomed  beside  her,  and 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  213 

she  look  up  to  see  Dick  Percival,  straight  and 
big,  with  the  electric  light  gleaming  on  his 
white  shirt-front,  where  his  overcoat  fell 
back.  There  was  an  unpleasant  sternness  in 
his  deeply-shadowed  eyes. 

' '  Miss  Quincy ! "  he  exclaimed.  '  ^  What  are 
you  doing  here  ? ' ' 

^*I  was  sent  to  report  it,"  said  Lena 
weakly.     ^  ^  I  'm  going  home  now. ' ' 

^* Going  home  alone?     Nearly  midnight?" 

*^What  else  can  I  do?  It's  what  the  other 
girls — reporters,  I  mean — have  to  do." 

^^I  shall  walk  home  with  you,"  said  Dick 
sharply,  and  he  drew  her  aside  into  the 
shadow,  as  though  ashamed  of  being  seen,  and 
piloted  her  in  silence  to  the  sidewalk.  Lena 
gave  a  little  sob  as  he  drew  her  arm  through 
his,  and  still  they  walked  on  until  the  lights  of 
the  great  house  grew  dim  in  the  distance  and 
only  the  quiet  of  the  city  streets  by  night  en- 
veloped them. 

^^ Ought  you  not  to  go  back  now?  You'll 
lose  all  the  pleasure,"  said  Lena  timidly. 

^^Are  you  doing  much  of  this  kind  of 
thing?"  Dick  demanded. 

'^This  is  the  first  time." 

'^I  hope  it  will  be  the  last,"  he  answered 
glumly. 


214  JEWEL  WEED 

^^So  do  I — I  don't  like  it, "  whispered  Lena. 

*^I — I  can't  endure  it — Lena!"  Lena 
started  as  she  heard  her  name.  '^Lena, 
come  over  here  into  the  park  for  just  a  mo- 
ment.   I  want  to  talk  to  you. ' ' 

**I  can't.  It's  awfully  cold,  and — "  said 
Lena,  but  she  followed  his  lead  as  she  remon- 
strated. 

**And  you  have  on  a  wretched  little  thin 
coat.    Why  aren't  you  decently  dressed?" 

^*I  haven't  anything."  Lena  spoke  under 
her  breath.  Dick  stamped  his  foot  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  a  curse,  whipped  off  his  heavy 
great-coat,  wrapped  her  in  it,  and  pushed  her 
down  on  to  a  bench. 

^^Lena,"  he  said,  standing  squarely  in  front 
of  her,  * '  I  know  I  've  no  right  to  hope  for  any- 
thing— ^no  right  to  speak,  even,  when  you 
know  me  so  little;  but,  by  Heaven,  I  can't 
endure  to  see  you  grinding  out  your  life  in 
this  way,  when  there's  even  a  chance  that 
you  will  let  me  prevent  it.  You  flower  of  a 
girl,  you !  Oh,  Lena,  I  love  you — I  love  you ! ' ' 

He  caught  a  small  white  hand  that  held  to- 
gether the  heavy  coat,  and  kissed  it  in  a  kind 
of  frenzy,  while  Lena,  rigid  with  desire  to  be 
quite  sure  what  this  signified,  peered  stolidly 
at  him  from  over  the  big  collar.     She  was  too 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  215 

wise  in  her  generation  to  leap  to  conclusions 
about  the  ultimate  meaning  of  Dick's  pas- 
sion. She  would  not  unbottle  any  emotion 
until  she  knew. 

^^Lena,  if  you  could  see  how  I  love  you, 
you'd  trust  me,  I  think,  even  with  yourself. 
If  you  will  be  my  wife — " 

Something  in  Lena  seemed  to  break,  and 
she  gave  a  gasp  of  relief  and  gratitude  that 
was  almost  prayer  and  approached  love. 
Then  she  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and 
sobbed  aloud,  as  Dick  put  both  arms  around 
her  and  drew  her  head  to  his  shoulder. 

^^Lena,  can  you — do  you  love  me  a  little?'' 
he  whispered,  as  if  in  awe. 

^^Oh,  Mr.  Percival,"  said  Lena,  ^'I  do! 
How  could  I  help  it?  But  I  could  not  dream 
of  your  loving  poor  little  insignificant  me." 

^^And  how  could  I  help  it?"  he  said,  mock- 
ing her.  ' '  Little,  you  may  be,  but  this  part  is 
bigger  than  the  whole  world.  You  belong  to 
me  now,  and  I  won't  have  you  depreciate 
yourself. ' ' 

'^Oh,  Mr.  Percival,  is  it  true?" 

'' Suppose  you  say  ^Dick',  and  thank  God 
that  it  is." 

^'Dick,  Dick,  Dick — it  is,"  said  Lena  very 
softly,  and  she  frankly  put  her  arms  around 


216  JEWEL  WEED 

his  neck,  and  her  soft  lips  to  his  cold  cheek,  so 
that  he  lost  himself  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight 
and  wonder. 

So  they  sat  in  the  donbtful  shadow  of  a 
leafless  maple,  on  a  hard  park  bench,  on  a 
chilly  November  night,  and  though  Dick  was 
half  frozen  they  were  both  more  than  happy. 
And  they  talked,  in  lovers'  fashion,  over  the 
great  fact,  and  how  it  all  happened. 

The  mellow  chimes  of  the  city  hall  began  to 
strike  twelve — a  most  persistent  hour,  and 
Lena  started  into  consciousness. 

^^Dick,  I  must  go  home,"  she  said.  ^^None 
of  those  girls,  the  nice  girls.  Miss  Elton  or 
any  one  like  that,  would  do  such  an  improper 
thing,  would  they?" 

'^I  should  think  not,"  said  Dick.  ^'I 
wouldn  't  ask  them  to. " 

^^And  I  wouldn't  allow  them,"  laughed 
Lena.  ^'Now  come,  like  a  dear  boy,  and  walk 
home  with  me." 

^^  There  are  so  many  more  things  that  I 
want  to  say,"  remonstrated  Dick.  '^Stop  a 
moment  under  this  light  and  let  me  see  your 
eyes,  Lena.  You'll  have  to  look  up.  I  want 
to  talk  plain  business  to  you.  First,  you'll 
give  up  this  reporting  folly,  won't  you?" 

*' To-morrow, "  said  Lena  joyously. 


They  talked  in  lovers'  fashion 


Page  216 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  217 

' '  What  an  admirably  obedient  wife  yon  are 
going  to  make !  Bnt  I  'm  glad  yon  hate  it.  If 
ever  yon  feel  a  mad  desire  to  take  it  np  again, 
we'll  go  into  the  library  together  and  write  np 
Godey's  Lady's  Book.  I  want  yonr  life  to  be 
sweet  and  sheltered  and  filled  with  good 
things  now. ' ' 

^^Oh,  Dick,  to  think  of  that  kind  of  a  life 
coming  to  me ! ' ' 

^^It  ought  to  have  come  to  yon  long  ago. 
It  was  bonnd  to  come,  because  it  belongs  to 
yon.  Bnt  things  being  as  they  are,  yon  must 
give  yourself  into  my  keeping  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, sweetheart.  There's  no  reason  why  we 
shouldn't  be  married  at  once,  or  nearly  so, 
is  there,  dear?" 

Here  Lena  hesitated,  a  little  in  doubt 
whether  she  ought  to  show  maiden  reluctance, 
and  her  lover  went  on  with  his  argument. 

^*You  are  so  alone,  dear.  Don't  let  any 
foolish  hesitation  prolong  this  bad  time  of 
yours." 

^^What  about  my  mother?"  demanded 
Lena,  with  a  sudden  descent  to  the  region  of 
hard  facts. 

^^Do  you  want  her  to  live  with  us?"  Dick 
asked  with  a  gulp. 

^^No,  I  don't!"  Lena  answered  so  sharply 


218  JEWEL  WEED 

that  Dick  started  in  surprise,  and  she  gath- 
ered herself  together. 

'^It  would  take  a  long  time  for  me  to  ex- 
plain things  to  you,"  she  went  on  in  gentler 
accents.  ^^But,  Dick,  mother  and  I  are  not 
very  happy  together.  I'll  tell  you  all  about 
it  some  time.  Perhaps  she  would  be  just  as 
contented  to  live  somewhere  else. ' ' 

^^Very  well,"  said  Dick  with  a  sense  of 
relief.  ^^We  must  make  her  comfortable,  of 
course."  In  reality  nobody  else's  comfort 
made  a  rap's  difference  just  then.  ^^I  dare 
say  we  can  find  some  jolly  little  apartment 
and  somebody  to  take  care  of  her. ' ' 

*  ^  Hire  somebody  for  her  to  find  fault  with, ' ' 
said  Lena,  with  a  return  of  acid.  ^^What 
about  your  mother?" 

^^Oh,  I  couldn't  let  mother  live  anywhere 
but  in  the  dear  old  home.  It's  too  big  and 
lonely  for  her  by  herself,  so  we  must  share  it 
with  her.  And  no  other  place  would  ever 
have  the  flavor  of  home,  either  to  her  or  to 
me." 

Lena  stopped  short  in  her  progress. 

''Does  the  house  belong  to  you  or  to  her?" 

''Technically  to  me,  I  believe — ^not  that  it 
makes  the  slightest  difference,  dear." 

"Then  I  should  be  mistress  of  it,  not  she?" 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  219 

^^I'm  sure  she'd  be  only  too  glad  to  turn  the 
housekeeping  cares  over  to  your  pretty  little 
hands,"  said  Dick,  smiling,  but  a  little  un- 
easily. ^  ^  She 's  a  good  deal  of  an  invalid,  you 
know.  But  there's  plenty  of  time  to  think  of 
all  these  details.  I  suppose  you've  had  to 
worry  about  the  little  things  until  it's  become 
a  habit,"  he  added  in  a  kind  of  apology  to 
himself. 

^^I've  been  a  bond-slave  so  long,"  said 
Lena,  ^^that  I'd  like  to  feel  perfectly  free  and 
mistress  of  everything  around  me."  She 
straightened  her  back  and  squared  her  soft 
shoulders. 

'^So  you  shall  be !"  answered  Dick  happily. 
^  ^  Even  of  your  husband. ' ' 

^^Oh,  that,  of  course,"  said  Lena  with  an 
enchanting  pout.  ^^Now  here  we  are,  and 
it's  very  late.    You  must  go.     Good  night." 

^^Good  night,"  said  Dick.  '^I  suppose  I 
must  not  keep  you.  To  think  I  have  the  un- 
believable good  fortune  to  kiss  you  good 
night,  sweetheart." 

Mrs.  Quincy  turned  over  in  the  lumpy 
bed  which  she  and  her  daughter  shared  and 
said,  with  a  querulousness  undiminished  by 
her  sleepiness,  ^^You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of 
yourself,  Lena  Quincy,  gallivanting  around  at 


220  JEWEL  WEED 

this  hour  of  night.  It  ain't  decent.  But 
there!" 

*'I  guess  I  know  my  business,"  Lena  snap- 
ped. 

She  turned  out  the  gas  to  undress  in  the 
dark  rather  than  encourage  her  mother's  con- 
versation. She  needed  to  think.  An  awful 
problem  had  just  presented  itself.  How  was 
she  to  get  a  trousseau? 

It  was  in  another  mood  that  Dick  Percival 
walked  home.  Whenever  anything  very 
great  and  wonderful  happens  to  us,  we  are 
apt  to  bow  our  heads  and  cry,  ^^What  am  I, 
that  this  should  be  given  to  me?"  Doubtless 
he  is  the  noblest  man  who  most  often  feels  this 
exultant  humility.  This  was  Dick's  hour  on 
the  mountain.  The  depth  of  his  own  tender- 
ness, the  deliciousness  of  his  passion  swept 
over  him  like  a  revelation,  as  he  asked  himself 
in  wonder  how  it  could  be  that  this  love  had 
sprung  up  at  once,  like  Aphrodite  from  the 
waves,  where  no  one  could  have  suspected 
such  a  marvel.  He  himself  had  been  without 
realization  of  how  his  passing  interest  had 
deepened  its  roots  until  now  they  fed  on  every 
part  of  him.  Love  had  startled  him  like  a 
stroke  of  lightning  out  of  a  clear  sky,  but  it 
was  evident  that  it  was  no  light  that  flashed 


AN  ENGAGEMENT  221 

out  and  then  disappeared.  It  liad  come  to 
stay. 

Then  came  self-reproach.  He  remembered 
with  hot  cheeks  that  he  had  actually  joked 
with  Ellery  about  her  in  early  days,  and  let 
himself  be  bantered  in  return — cad  that  he 
was,  incapable  of  appreciating  at  first  sight 
the  woman  he  was  to  love.  He  had  thought 
her  an  exquisite  trifle,  almost  too  illusive  to 
be  taken  seriously.  Now  that  very  illusive- 
ness  was  the  thing  that  gripped  him  closest, 
like  poetry  and  music  and  all  the  finer  ele- 
ments of  life,  the  most  impossible  to  explain, 
the  most  supreme  in  their  dominion.  Beauty 
meant  all  this.  He  found  himself  repeating, 
^ '  Beauty  is  truth.  Truth  beauty.  That  is  all 
ye  know  on  earth,  and  all  ye  need  to  know.'' 
And  Lena  was  beautiful.  How  beautiful! 
He  trembled  in  flesh  and  spirit  at  the  vision 
of  her  face  turned  up  to  him  out  of  the  black 
November  darkness,  at  the  memory  of  the 
fine  texture  of  her  cheeks  and  lips. 

He  did  not  stop  to  ask  himself  whether  he 
and  Keats  were  agreed  in  their  definition  of 
beauty.  Moreover,  poor  Keats  never  had  the 
delight  of  anything  so  pink  and  golden  and 
blue-eyed  as  Lena  Quincy. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

AN"  AWAKENING 

A  little  scrawl  of  a  note,  delivered  just 
after  breakfast  at  Mr.  Elton's  door,  brought 
Madeline  to  visit  Mrs.  Percival,  who,  like  her 
mother,  seemed  to  be  in  continual  need  of  her. 

She  found  that  lady  lying  in  her  favorite 
chair  in  the  library — the  chair  that  had  been 
her  refuge  in  the  days  of  her  early  widow- 
hood, that  had  comfortably  housed  her  when 
books  carried  her  away  from  her  own  world 
of  sorrows  and  problems  into  the  world  of 
illusions,  the  chair  in  which  she  had  dreamed 
of  the  great  things  that  were  to  come  into  a 
younger  life,  not  her  own,  and  yet  deeply  her 
own, — ^her  son's. 

Now  she  lay  back  in  it  with  clasped  hands, 
thinner  than  usual  and  with  eyes  sadder. 
Madeline  came  in  like  a  young  Hebe,  glowing 
with  health  and  vigor,  and  infinitely  tender 
toward  fragility. 

^^You  are  ill,  dear  mother  Percival,"  cried 

222 


AN  AWAKENING  223 

the  girl,  dropping  to  her  knees  and  slipping 
an  arm  behind  her  friend's  back  in  an  uncon- 
scious attitude  of  protection. 

Mrs.  Percival's  fingers  followed  the  soft 
curve  that  the  girl's  hair  made  around  her 
forehead. 

^*No,  dear,"  she  said  slowly,  ^'but  I  had 
something  to  tell  you.  I  wanted  to  speak  to 
you  myself,  before  any  one  else  had  the 
chance." 

*^ Please  tell  me  quickly." 

^^So  many  of  my  dearest  hopes  have  come 
to  nothing!"  Mrs.  Percival  went  on,  with  a 
little  bitterness  that  Madeline  thought  unlike 
her.  ^^Each  blow,  as  it  falls,  seems  the  hard- 
est to  bear.  I've  tried  to  accept  whatever 
happens,  graciously.  It  isn't  always  easy, 
Madeline,  dear." 

' '  Yes  ? ' '  said  Madeline. 

^^Dick— " 

^^Is  anything  the  matter  with  Dick?"  Made- 
line rose  with  a  little  cry. 

^^Dick  does  not  think  so,"  his  mother 
answered.  ^^My  child,  you  have  seen  some- 
thing of  this  little  Miss  Quincy?" 

Madeline's  eyes  dropped  for  the  tenth  of  a 
second  and  a  heaviness  took  possession  of  her 
body ;  then  she  lifted  her  head  bravely. 


ii 


224  JEWEL  WEED 

^^Yes,"  she  answered,  ^^I  know  Miss 
Quincy — quite  the  most  beautiful  girl  I  have 
ever  seen." 

Very  beautiful,"  echoed  Mrs.  Percival. 

So  I  too  thought,  the  only  time  I  ever  saw 
her.  Well,  Madeline,  what  I  have  to  tell  you 
is  that  Dick  is  to  marry  her. ' ' 

The  girl  saw  that  the  older  woman's  hands 
were  trembling,  and  she  laid  her  own  warm 
young  palms  over  the  cold  old  ones. 

^  ^  I  hope  Dick  will  be  very  happy, ' '  she  said 
softly.  ^^I — ^I'm  not  a  bit  surprised.  We 
ought  to  have  seen  that  it  was  coming.  And 
Dick  loves  her ! ' ' 

And  she  laid  her  cheek  against  Mrs.  Per- 
cival's,  but  the  other  pushed  her  away  and 
stared  into  the  eyes  so  near  her  own. 

^'And  you  can  take  it  so  quietly?"  she 
asked.  ^^  Forgive  me,  dear,  if  for  once  I 
break  down  the  barriers  of  reserve.  I  love 
you  so  much,  let  me  be  frank.  Surely  you 
know  what  I  hoped,  what  I  thought. ' ' 

^^You  thought  Dick  and  I  loved  each 
other, ' '  Madeline  said  bravely. 

* '  I  hoped  so.     Heaven  knows  I  hoped  so. ' ' 

^^We  are  too  good  friends  for  that,  dear 
Mrs.  Percival.  One  needs  a  little  something 
unexplored  and  unexpected  in  a  lover;  don't 


AN  AWAKENING  225 

you  think  so?  Dick  and  I  knew  each  other  in 
kilts  and  pig-tails. ' ' 

^^  Well,  it  seems  I  am  as  much  of  an  old  fool 
as  Dick  is  a  young  one,"  Mrs.  Percival  said 
bitterly.  ^^I'm  good  for  nothing  but  to  lie 
here  and  comfort  myself  with  dreams." 

^*  You 're  an  old  dear,  and  Dick  is  a  young 
one,"  Madeline  tried  to  laugh.  ^^And  Miss 
Quincy  is  exquisite — charming. ' ' 

^^An  old  fool,"  repeated  Mrs.  Percival. 
*^Now  listen,  sweetheart!  If  Dick  marries 
this  girl,  I  have  no  intention  of  forgetting  that 
he  is  my  son,  and  that  she  is  his  wife.  I  shall 
do  all  I  can  to  help  her  to  be  worthy  of  him ; 
but  before  that  happens,  I  am  going  to  have 
the  satisfaction  of  speaking  to  just  one  per- 
son in  the  world — ^you — exactly  what  I  think 
about  it.  From  what  Mrs.  Lenox  told  me, 
after  her  visit  in  the  country,  and  from  what 
I  saw  myself,  I  think  she  is  a  vulgar  little 
image  overlaid  with  tinsel. ' ' 

' '  Oh,  don 't ! "  Madeline  cried.  ' '  You  and  I 
do  not  really  know  her,  but  we  can  trust  Dick. 
He 's  too  fine  himself  to  be  attracted  by  any- 
thing but  fineness.  She  must  have  character 
to  have  made  the  fight  she  has  with  fate." 

^^ Attracted  by  character!  Pins  and  figs! 
My  son  is  just  like  all  the  others,  I  am  find- 


226  JEWEL  WEED 

ing.  He's  attracted  by  pink  flesh.  And  as 
for  heart  and  soul — all  the  women  that  Dick 
has  known  well  have  been  women  of  refine- 
ment. He  takes  their  purity  and  nobility  for 
granted,  as  a  part  of  womanhood.  He  thinks 
he's  marrying  you  and  me.  His  reason  has 
nothing  to  do  with  it. ' ' 

For  the  moment  Madeline  had  no  answer, 
and  Mrs.  Percival  went  on : 

^'It's  foolish  to  care  what  people  say  about 
your  tragedies.  Oh,  you  needn't  shake  your 
head.  This  is  a  tragedy,  Madeline.  And  I 
do  care  about  the  world.  I  hate  to  think  of 
the  whispering  and  gossiping  because  my  son 
— my  son — ^has  fallen  a  victim  to  a  cheap  ad- 
venturess." 

^^ Nonsense,"  Madeline  broke  out.  ^^Miss 
Quincy  isn't  an  outcast,  just  because  she 
has  had  the  world's  cold  shoulder.  And  peo- 
ple aren't  so  silly  as  to  let  such  external 
things  prejudice  them." 

' '  Don 't  mistake  me,  dearie.  I  'm  not  taking 
exception  to  the  girl  because  she  works. 
We're  all — those  of  us  that  are  good  for 
much — ^the  mothers  and  wives  and  daughters 
of  men  who  work,  and  we  share  in  their  labor. 
I  could  admire  and  love  a  real  worker,  but 
this  butterfly  creature  affects  me  like  a  para- 


AN  AWAKENING  227 

site — a  woman  who  wants  to  get  and  not  to 
give.  It's  just  because  I  feel  that  she  isn't  a 
real  worker  that  I  am  afraid  of  her. ' ' 

^^And  that,  even  if  it  is  true,  may  be  only 
the  result  of  sordid  surroundings."  Made- 
line's heart  misgave  her,  for  she  had  learned 
to  respect  Mrs.  Percival's  judgments. 
^ ^She'll  blossom  out  and  add  womanliness  to 
beauty  in  such  an  atmosphere  as  you  and  Dick 
will  give  her." 

*  ^  Spontaneous  generation  will  not  do  every- 
thing. You  must  have  the  germ  of  a  heart 
before  you  can  develop  the  whole  thing.  Do 
you  think  you  can  really  change  a  girl  who 
has  lived  for  twenty  years  in  the  wrong 
attitude?" 

'*  You  are  judging  cruelly,"  Madeline  cried. 
* '  Of  course  every  one  has  the  germs  of  good. '  * 

^^  And  did  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  the  kind 
of  love  that  Dick  will  give  his  wife  may  be  too 
good — so  far  above  a  coarse-grained  woman 
that  it  will  not  touch  her  comprehension?  A 
lower  grade  of  man  might  bring  her  out 
better." 

^^It's  impossible  to  think  of  so  exquisite  a 
creature  being  coarse-grained,"  Madeline  ex- 
claimed. '^I,  for  one,  am  going  to  believe  in 
her,  and  in  a  year,  with  you  and  Dick  and 


228  JEWEL  WEED 

mother  and  Mrs.  Lenox  and  myself  all  back- 
ing her,  you'll  be  prond  of  her  loveliness  and 
tact.  I  shall  be  only  Cinderella's  ngly  sister. 
But  you  must  not  ever  quite  forget  me,  Mrs. 
Percival."  And  Madeline  laughed  most 
cheerfully. 

Mrs.  Percival  smiled  in  return.  ^^Well,  I 
have  had  my  explosion.  It's  extraordinary 
what  a  relief  it  is,  once  in  a  while.  I'm  not 
often  so  guilty,  am  I,  Madeline?  After  all, 
I've  told  you  my  fears  rather  than  my  con- 
victions. The  situation  does  not  seem  so  bad, 
now  that  I  have  said  even  more  than  I  think. 
Hereafter  I  shall  find  it  easy  to  hold  my 
tongue. ' ' 

'^And  you  will  try  to  like  her?"  Madeline 
asked  anxiously. 

*^0f  course,  my  dear.  I  shall  try  harder 
than  any  one  else.  I  am  going  in  state  to  pay 
her  a  motherly  call  this  very  afternoon,  feel- 
ing all  the  time  like  a  plated  volcano."  Mrs. 
Percival  leaned  back  with  a  small  moue,  then 
sat  up  again.  '^There's  my  boy's  latch-key 
in  the  lock  now, ' '  she  said. 

Dick  halted  at  the  door  when  he  saw  the 
two  and  knew  that  they  must  have  been  talk- 
ing of  him.  He  had  something  of  an  air  of 
defiance  thickly  overlaid  with  innocence;  but 


AN  AWAKENING  229 

Madeline  went  to  meet  him  with  hands  out- 
stretched. 

^^Dick,"  she  exclaimed,  ^^I  congratulate 
you  with  all  my  heart.  She's  the  prettiest 
creature  in  the  world. ' ' 

Dick,  manlike,  regarded  this  as  the  highest 
possible  tribute  to  his  beloved  and  glowed  in 
return.  His  defiance  dropped  like  a  shell  and 
he  shook  Madeline's  hands  with  enthusiasm. 

^ ^You're  a  trump,"  he  said.  ^^I  shall  not 
forget  how  good  you  have  been  to  her ;  and  I 
hope  you  two  will  always  be  friends. ' ' 

^^I  should  think  so!  I  should  like  to  see 
your  trying  to  prevent  us,  Dick, ' '  said  Made- 
line saucily.  ' '  And  your  mother  is  going  to 
love  her,  too,  when — " 

^*When  we  are  married,"  Dick  answered 
with  silly  masculine  self -consciousness. 

' '  And  that  is  to  be  soon  ? ' ' 

^^  As  soon  as  I  can  manage  it.  I  can't  bear 
to  have  Lena  living  as  she  does  now;  and 
there's  no  reason  why  we  shouldn't  cut  it 
short." 

' '  No  reason  at  all.  I  don 't  wonder  vou  feel 
so.     Good-by,  both  of  you. ' ' 

Dick  saw  her  to  the  door  and  Madeline 
walked  out  with  her  usual  deliberate  serenity. 

She  found  her  way  home  with  bottled-up 


230  JEWEL  WEED 

emotions,  as  a  hurt  child  holds  in  the  cry 
until  he  gets  to  the  spot  where  mother's 
breast  waits  for  the  inarticulate  sobs. 
Everything  she  had  done  and  said  seemed  to 
have  been  the  act  of  some  far-away  self,  that 
had  hardly  any  connection  with  the  real 
Madeline.  The  earth  danced  around  her  and 
she  was  incapable  of  real  thought.  And  yet 
the  well-trained,  automatic  body  that  was  her 
outer  shell  conducted  itself  with  reason.  It 
even  stopped  in  the  living-room  to  kiss  her 
mother ;  it  apparently  skimmed  a  new  copy  of 
Life;  it  convoyed  her  slowly  up  stairs  to  her 
own  room,  where  it  shut  and  locked  her  door. 
But  here  her  real  self  resumed  control,  as 
she  threw  herself  into  an  easy  chair  by  the 
window  and  stared  out  at  the  desolation  of 
December  where  dead  leaves  went  whirling  in 
elfin  eddying  clouds. 

For  a  few  moments  she  let  the  solar  system 
rock  and  reel  around  her,  and  watched  every- 
thing she  had  thought  stable  go  up  in  smoke. 
Then  upon  the  world,  swirling  and  pounding 
meaninglessly,  there  came  an  intense  quiet. 
She  knew  that  the  outer  world  was  as  serene 
as  ever;  but  a  great  throbbing  pain  within 
showed  her  that  it  was  only  her  own  little 
atom  of  self  that  was  revolutionized.     Nature 


AN  AWAKENING  231 

was  not  upset.  There  was  still  order  for  her 
to  hold  fast  to.  For  the  first  time  she  began 
to  analyze  herself  and  her  emotions. 

She  could  not  say  that  she  had  planned  her 
future,  but  it  had  seemed  so  natural  and  in- 
evitable that  she  had  accepted  it  without  plan- 
ning, almost  without  thought.  Dick  and 
she  had  belonged  to  each  other  ever  since  they 
could  remember.  At  ten  they  had  been  out- 
spoken lovers,  and  ever  since  there  had  been 
that  intimate  comradeship  that  seemed  to 
her  to  imply  the  unspoken  relation,  behind, 
above,  below.  All  this  she  had  taken  for 
granted,  like  mother-love  and  her  own  dawn- 
ing womanhood.  And  now  Dick,  the  chief 
corner-stone  of  her  edifice,  was  torn  away, 
and  the  whole  airy  structure  toppled  and  dis- 
solved. 

^^I've  been  assuming  all  this,"  she  said  to 
herself,  ^^and  marriage  isn't  a  thing  to  take 
for  granted.  Shouldn't  I  have  resented  it 
if  Dick  had  appropriated  me  as  though  I 
belonged  to  him  and  had  lost  my  freedom  of 
choice?  I've  been  unfair  to  him.  And  now 
—if  I  should  never  marry — there  are  surely 
plenty  of  good  things  left  in  the  world.  But 
are  there  ? ' ' 

Madeline  had  always  been  characterized  by 


232  JEWEL  WEED 

those  who  knew  her  as  lovely  and  placid. 
And  why  not?  What  else  should  life  draw 
out  of  a  girl  of  normal  nature,  surrounded  by 
protecting  love,  given  the  good  things  of  life 
as  by  right,  shielded  from  the  knowledge  of 
evil,  never  facing  a  problem  more  exciting 
than  those  of  Euclid.  But  now  something 
began  to  stir  in  the  unknown  depths  of  her 
nature.  For  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  had 
had  a  blow.  There  rose  before  her  a  vision 
of  endless  maidenhood.  She  saw  herself  as 
she  had  seen  other  women — ^uninteresting 
women,  she  had  thought  them.  Now  they 
seemed  to  her  like  tragedies — ^women  whose 
lives  did  not  count,  either  to  themselves  or 
to  the  world,  middle-aged,  somber,  unrelated. 
To  be  childless,  to  eat  and  dress  and  wear  the 
semblance  of  womanhood,  even  to  play  a  little 
part  in  society,  and  yet  to  be  but  half  a 
woman!  To  be  no  link  in  the  generations! 
This  was  unendurable.  The  first  demand  of 
every  soul  is  for  life,  and  yet  life  is  life 
only  when  it  is  part  of  the  future.  To  live 
oneself  one  must  live  in  others.  All  the 
mother  hidden  in  the  depths  of  her  rose  and 
cried  out  against  any  destiny  that  shut  her 
out  from  the  great  stream  of  humanity. 
''I  shall  be  a  side-eddy  in  the  current.    I 


AN  AWAKENING  233 

shall  grow  stagnant  and  slimy  and  lead  no- 
where. And  the  rushing  waters  will  go  leap- 
ing and  laughing  past." 

She  got  up  and  moved  restlessly  up  and 
down  the  room.  She  looked  again  out  of  the 
window  at  the  sober  end  of  the  winter  day. 
In  the  tree  branches  that  clattered  outside, 
her  eyes  fell  on  an  empty  nest. 

^^And  am  I  to  be  such  a  thing?"  she  said. 
*  ^  Surely  all  the  world  must  bow  down  in  pity 
for  the  solitary  woman. ' '  Some  half -forgot- 
ten lines  came  back  to  her : 

**Miiie  ear  is  full  of  the  rocking  of  cradles. 
For  a   single   cradle,   saith  Nature,    I  would 
give  every  one  of  my  graves." 

By  her  little  practice  piano  her  eyes  fell  on 
the  pages  of  Schubert's  unfinished  symphony. 

^  ^  Unfinished ! "  she  said.  ^^And  yet  even 
there  is  the  phrase  that  comes  and  comes 
again,  sweeter  and  more  full  of  meaning  in 
every  reneyred  variety.  So  I  must  have  love 
to  play  through  my  life,  or  else  it  will  be  noth- 
ing but  a  medley.  It  must  be  my  music's 
theme;  even  if  the  symphony  is  unfinished. 
Are  there  women  who  can  do  without  it,  who 
can  take  a  life  alone  and  make  it  sweet  and 
satisfying?    Not  I,  oh  God,  not  I!    I'm  no 


234  JEWEL  WEED 

exceptional  creature.  I'm  just  a  plain 
woman.  And  if  life  doesn't  give  me  wife- 
hood and  motherhood,  it  gives  me  nothing. 
I  wonder  if  all  women  feel  this  way.  This 
pretty  little  Lena, — ^is  she  bursting  with 
primal  need  of  giving  and  taking?  At  any 
rate  she  has  put  something  in  Dick's  face  that 
was  never  there  before — that  I'd  give  my  soul 
to  see  in  a  man's  face  when  he  looks  at  me.'' 
Hitherto  the  world  had  ambled  along  in  an 
amiable  way ;  and  now  it  suddenly  turned  and 
delivered  a  blow  in  the  face.  Every  one  is 
destined  to  receive  such  blows,  some  get  little 
else.  But  the  test  comes  in  the  way  they  are 
received.  You  may  use  belladonna  as  a 
poison,  or  you  may  use  it  to  help  the  blind  to 
see.  So  when  pain  comes,  you  may  take  it  to 
your  bosom  and  suckle  it  till  it  becomes  a  fine 
healthy  child,  too  heavy  for  you  to  carry; 
or  cast  out  the  changeling  and  leave  it  on 
the  doorstep  to  die.  It  matters  little  how 
much  anguish  skulks  about  the  outside  of 
life,  so  long  as  it  finds  no  lodgment  in  the 
sacred  shrines  of  the  heart.  Madeline  met 
her  first  grief  and  fought  it  offi;  and,  even 
while  she  thought  it  had  given  her  a  mortal 
wound,  came  the  revelation  of  the  powerless- 
ness  of  the  poor  thing.     She  put  her  arms 


AN  AWAKENING  235 

down  on  the  window-sill  to  cry  deliberately, 
but  something  dried  her  tears. 

'^I  couldn't  put  that  look  in  Dick's  face,  but 
could  he  put  it  in  mine  ?  Was  this  taking  of 
things  for  granted  the  best  love  of  which  I 
am  capable  ?  I  've  found  out  to-day  that  there 
are  all  kinds  of  things  in  me  that  I  have  never 
dreamed  of  before,  and  passion  is  one  of 
them,  and  rebellion.  Great  heavens!  I 
might  have  married  him  and  been  serene  and 
never  found  things  out." 

She  seemed  to  be  looking  at  a  new  Made- 
line; and  while  she  stared,  startled,  this  self 
grew  greater  and  stronger. 

^^This  is  not  the  end  of  life;  it  is  the 
beginning, ' '  she  whispered.  ^  ^  I  've  been  look- 
ing down  the  wrong  road.  Dick  has  no  such 
power  over  me  as  to  consign  me  to  misery, 
everlasting.  I  am  mistress  of  my  own  fate. 
I  have  not  handed  it  over  to  him.  Happiness 
is  not  a  thing  to  get.  It  is  a  state  of  mind  to 
live  in.  It  is  my  own  affair,  not  that  of 
others."  She  rested  her  chin  in  her  hands  and 
fell  into  a  girl's  day-dream,  in  which  the 
nightmare  was  forgotten. 

Twilight  fell  at  last,  and  faint  sounds  came 
up  to  her  to  remind  her  that  down  stairs  there 
were  well-beloved  people  who  did  not  know 


236  JEWEL  WEED 

and  should  never  know  of  her  little  vigil. 
Her  father  must  be  coming  home.  It  was 
time  for  her  to  put  on  her  armor  and  go  down. 
Armor  is  one  of  the  necessities  of  life.  If  we 
can't  wear  it  in  steel  plates  on  the  outside, 
we  must  mask  the  face  with  impenetrability 
and  the  manner  with  pretense.  Never  let  the 
heart  be  vulnerable.  Yet,  try  as  we  may, 
something  of  our  weakness  is  laid  bare. 
Hereafter  Miss  Elton  might  be  serene,  but 
would  never  again  be  placid. 

But  now  she  was  quite  herself. 

Down  stairs  her  father  read  the  paper  and 
her  mother  sat  near  the  big  table,  hem-stitch- 
ing. For  them  everything  was  settled,  and 
settled  satisfactorily.  They  knew  whom  they 
were  going  to  marry,  and  whether  love  was  to 
be  a  success,  and  where  they  were  going  to 
live,  and  what  they  were  going  to  do.  Hence- 
forth, for  them  the  game  meant  only  pleasant- 
ly plodding  onward  along  paths  already 
marked  out.  Just  a  wholesome  common  mar- 
riage, planted  with  the  seed  of  love  and 
watered  with  small  self-sacrifices.  How 
could  they  possibly  remember  the  restlessness 
of  youth,  to  whom  all  these  things  are  hidden 
in  the  mists  of  the  future,  and  who  is  long- 
ing for  everything  and  sure  of  nothing? 


AN  AWAKENING  237 

Madeline  sat  down  at  the  piano  and  her 
hands  fell  inevitably  into  phrasing  the  **  un- 
finished symphony. ' '  She  became  aware  that 
her  mother  laid  down  the  stitching  and  Mr. 
Elton's  evening  paper  ceased  to  crackle.  As 
she  stopped  her  father  stood  behind  her.  He 
bent  and  kissed  the  little  parting  in  her  hair. 

' '  Your  music  grows  sweeter  and  richer  day 
by  day,  little  girl,"  he  said.  ''I  suppose  as 
more  comes  into  your  life  you  have  more  to 
give.  I'm  glad  that  you  give  it  out  to  us  old 
folks  at  home. ' ' 

Madeline  wheeled  about  and  sprang  to  her 
feet. 

'*  Ah,"  she  exclaimed,  ^4f  you  have  finished 
with  your  stupid  old  paper,  I'll  give  you  a 
real  piece  of  news.  It's  a  ^ scoop'  too,  for  no 
reporter  has  got  hold  of  it  yet.  Dick  Percival 
is  engaged  to  little  Miss  Quincy." 

Both  father  and  mother  stared  at  her  in 
silence.  She  stood  a  little  behind  the  chan- 
delier, where  the  light  shone  full  on  her  face, 
and  in  neither  mouth  nor  eyes  could  they  see 
the  trace  of  shadow.  On  the  contrary,  there 
was  a  radiant  loveliness  about  her  that  aston- 
ished those  that  loved  her  best. 

Then  Mr.  Norris  was  announced. 

Now  when  Miss  Elton  had  her  first  peep 


238  JEWEL  WEED 

into  her  soul,  and  so  stirred  np  the  possibili- 
ties in  her  nature,  she  also  awoke  to  new 
insight  into  what  was  going  on  behind  other 
people's  eyes.  The  day  when  she  could  look 
a  young  man  squarely  in  the  face  and  say  to 
him  whatever  she  thought  had  passed.  The 
period  of  unconscious  girlhood,  much  pro- 
longed in  her  case,  came  to  an  end.  Since,  in 
this  world,  shadow  goes  with  sunshine,  so 
demons  tag  after  angels ;  and  with  the  dawn 
of  her  sweeter  womanhood,  Madeline  de- 
veloped a  new  spirit  of  contrariety  and 
coquetry  that  astonished  no  one  so  much  as 
herself. 

When  Mr.  Norris  came  in,  his  apologetic 
glance  told  her  at  once  that  she  had  hardly 
spoken  to  him  since  she  had  turned  up  her 
straight  little  high-bred  nose  and  informed 
him  and  Dick  that  she  despised  their  under- 
hand ways;  told  her,  also,  what  had  not 
dawned  on  her  before,  that  here  was  an  abject 
creature,  and  that  it  was  the  province  of 
womanhood  to  batter  and  buifet  him  who  is 
down,  perhaps  in  secret  fear  of  that  day  when 
outraged  manhood  will  rise  and  claim  a 
tyranny  of  its  own. 

So  she  put  out  her  hand  with  that  stiffness 
that  holds  at  arm's  length  and  said: 


AN  AWAKENING  239 

^^Oh,  how  dy'  do,  Mr.  Norris,"  just  as 
though  they  had  never  sailed  together  in 
dual  solitude,  and  she  allowed  her  lip  to  curl 
in  evidence  of  her  disapproval  of  the  much 
warmer  greeting  of  her  elders. 

She  sat  down  and  eyed  and  tapped  a  small 
bronze  slipper,  while  she  ignored  the  re- 
proachful glances  of  her  mother  at  her  rank 
desertion  of  conversational  duties.  Her 
father  hardly  noticed  it.  He  himself  so  liked 
young  men  that  he  frequently  forgot  that  his 
daughter  and  not  himself  might  be  the  object 
of  their  quest.  So  he  plunged  cheerfully  into 
an  animated  discussion  of  the  new  tide  in 
civic  politics,  while  Norris  dully  and  consci- 
entiously tried  to  bear  up  his  end. 

EUery's  eyes,  however,  as  well  as  the 
thoughts  behind  those  superficial  thoughts 
that  guided  his  words,  were  absorbed  in  the 
other  side  of  the  room,  where  Miss  Elton  can- 
vassed with  her  mother  the  merits  of  various 
embroidery  silks.  She  was  lovelier  than  ever. 
He  had  thought  her  perfect  before,  but  to- 
night she  had  added  a  sheen  to  perfection  and 
made  herself  entrancing,  both  reposeful  and 
vivid.  He  wondered  if  she  had  heard  of 
Dick's  engagement  and  if  her  color  covered 
a  pale  heart. 


240  JEWEL  WEED 

Suddenly  she  flung  up  her  head  impatiently, 
and  came  behind  her  father's  chair  to  clap  a 
small  hand  over  his  mouth  in  the  middle  of  a 
sentence  of  which  Nor r is  had  entirely  lost 
track. 

'* Father,  father,"  she  cried,  ^^do  you  think 
Mr.  Norris  wants  to  come  here  and  maunder 
over  stupid  politics  all  the  evening,  after  he 
has  been  writing  stupid  editorials  about  them 
all  day?  They  are  stupid — I've  read  some 
of  them."  She  smiled  at  the  young  man. 
'^Wouldn't  you  both  infinitely  rather  hear 
me  sing?" 

Mr.  Elton  kissed  the  offending  hand  before 
he  put  it  gently  down. 

^^I  know  I  should." 

Norris  sprang  up. 

*^May  I  turn  your  music?"  he  asked 
eagerly,  but  she  shook  her  head  as  she  moved 
away. 

^^ There  isn't  going  to  be  any  music  to 
turn." 

She  began  to  sing  the  same  little  Eouman- 
ian  song  that  he  remembered  on  their  last 
evening  in  the  Lenox  house,  and  his  spirits, 
lifted  for  a  moment  by  her  smile,  went  down 
again. 


AN  AWAKENING  241 

'  *  Into  the  mist  I  gazed  and  fear  came  on  me, 
Then  said  the  mist,  'I  weep  for  the  lost  sun/  " 

She  sang  passionately  and  he  could  have 
cried  aloud.  It  was  true  then  that  she  was 
grieving  for  Dick. 

^*The  music  is  uncanny,  isn't  it?"  she  said, 
as  she  ended  and  found  him  near  her.  ' '  How 
does  it  make  you  feel?" 

^^If  I  should  find  an  image  for  my  feelings 
just  at  present,  you  would  scorn  me  for  my 
base  material  thoughts." 

^^Find  it,"  she  commanded. 

^^I  think  I  feel  like  a  mince-pie — a  madden- 
ing jumble  of  things  delicious  and  indiges- 
tible." 

She  laughed  and  grew  friendly.  Tbis,  he 
thought,  is,  after  all,  her  permanent  mood; 
but  before  he  could  take  advantage  of  it 
another  caller,  Mr.  Early,  appeared;  and 
again  she  basely  deserted  Norris  to  the  mer- 
cies of  her  father  and  mother,  and  devoted 
herself  to  the  evident  beatification  of  the 
apostle  of  the  new  in  art 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  BETURIT  OP  RAM  JUNA 

One  gloomy  evening  in  January  Mr.  Early 
sat  alone.  He  had  so  many  tentacles  spread 
out  through  the  world  of  men  and  women 
that  solitude  was  unusual  to  him.  Indeed 
it  had  often  occurred  to  him,  as  an  example 
of  the  fallacy  of  ancient  sayings,  that  there 
was  nothing  in  that  old  epigram  about  the 
loneliness  of  the  great.  The  higher  he  had 
risen  in  the  scale  of  greatness  the  more  in- 
sistently and  persistently  had  the  world  in- 
vaded his  life,  until  even  his  appreciation  of 
solitude  had  atrophied. 

This  particular  day  had  been  a  hard  one. 
The  problems  of  glass  and  rugs  were  unus- 
ually complicated,  and  the  interruptions  to 
continuous  thought  more  numerous  than  us- 
ual. Moreover,  without  warning,  like  a  me- 
teor of  magnificent  proportions,  Swami  Ram 
Juna,  with  many  paraphernalia  of  travel,  had 
suddenly  reappeared  to  ask  for  that  once- 

242 


THE  EETUEN  OF  EAM  JUNA    243 

proffered  hospitality.  Not  without  state  and 
courtesy  could  such  a  being  be  welcomed ;  and 
courtesy  takes  time. 

Finally,  to  discuss  the  matter  of  the  outer 
cover  for  the  next  issue  of  The  Aspirant,  a 
henchman  invaded  his  privacy.  Sebastian 
looked  over  a  pile  of  designs,  and  chose  a  flat 
but  lurid  young  woman,  in  a  sphinx-like  at- 
titude against  a  background  of  purple  trees. 
Then  came  the  more  difficult  question  of  an 
aphorism  to  be  printed  on  the  table  against 
which  the  lurid  young  woman  leaned.  It  was 
the  habit  of  The  Aspirant  to  convey,  even  on 
its  outside,  wisdom  to  the  world,  and  the 
thinking  up  of  smart  young  aphorisms  is  not 
always  an  easy  task.  Mr.  Early  at  length 
evolved:  ''It  has  been  said  of  old:  ^Know 
thyself.'  I  say  unto  thee,  'Forget  thyself. 
Know  thy  brother.'  " 

"That  sounds  fairly  well,"  said  Mr.  Early 
wearily,  and  he  dismissed  the  henchman  and 
settled  himself  in  a  particularly  benevolent 
arm-chair,  in  front  of  a  cheerfully-roaring 
fire.  The  place  was  a  remote  room,  deco- 
rated not  for  public  inspection  but  for  com- 
fort. Mr.  Early  was  tired.  A  certain  new 
question  had  been  waiting  in  the  antecham- 
bers of  his  mind,  and  to-night  he  determined 


244  JEWEL  WEED 

to  give  it  leisurely  attention ;  for  of  late  it  had 
several  times  been  borne  in  him  that  he  was 
getting  along  in  years  and  that  if  he  did  not 
intend  to  die  a  bachelor,  it  behooved  him  to 
move  swiftly.  The  thought  had  been  quick- 
ened into  livelier  vitality  when,  at  a  dinner  a 
few  nights  before,  he  had  watched  the  face 
and  studied  the  figure  of  Miss  Madeline 
Elton. 

She  was  certainly  a  rare  creature.  There 
was  a  verve,  a  magnetic  quality  to  her,  that 
he  hardly  remembered  before.  Her  beauty, 
her  nobility,  her  purity  he  felt  to  be  the  artis- 
tic attributes  of  womanhood.  No,  he  not  only 
admired  them,  they  charmed  him. 

'^Yes,'^  said  Mr.  Early.  ^^By  Jove,  if 
she'd  lift  her  little  finger  at  me  I  believe  I'd 
make  a  fool  of  myself  over  her!  And  why 
shouldn  't  I  ?  Why  shouldn  't  I  let  myself  go ! 
I've  got  everything  else  now.  A  woman  of 
her  bigness  likes  a  man  who  can  do  things  and 
who  controls  other  men.  By  Heaven,  I  be- 
lieve we  were  made  for  each  other ! ' ' 

Mr.  Early  grew  so  excited  by  the  strength 
of  his  new  passion  that  he  sprang  to  his  feet 
and  walked  up  and  down  to  luxuriate  in  the 
idea. 

Proportionately  great  was  his  annoyance 


THE  EETUEN  OF  EAM  JUNA     245 

when  a  knock  invaded  his  self-communion, 
and  his  man's  face  appeared  at  the  door  to 
tell  him  that  Mr.  Mnrdock  would  like  to  speak 
with  him.  While  he  was  yet  opening  his 
mouth  to  anathematize  Mr.  Murdock,  that 
gentleman  entered,  familiar  and  cheerful. 

The  man  who  came  in  was,  in  his  way,  a 
force  almost  as  great  and  as  worthy  of  re- 
gard as  Mr.  Sebastian  Early  himself — in 
fact  no  less  a  personage  than  the  power  be- 
hind the  throne  of  that  uncrowned  king,  Wil- 
liam Barry.  Though  he  did  not  sit  on  Olym- 
pian heights  and  play  with  the  thunderbolts 
of  jobs  and  contracts,  as  Barry  did,  yet  he  had 
an  occasional  way  of  interfering  in  the  game, 
just  as  in  Greek  legend  Fate  loomed  large 
behind  the  back  of  Zeus. 

Mr.  James  Murdock  was  a  business  genius 
who  dipped  into  politics,  not  for  office  nor  yet 
for  glory,  but  only  for  gain.  Originally  a 
partner  of  Mr.  Early's,  when,  just  as  some 
one  else  invented  a  better  hook-and-eye,  their 
business  w^s  sold  out,  Murdock  let  his  many- 
sidedness  run  riot  in  a  dozen  directions. 
While  Mr.  Early's  abilities  led  him  to  *^get 
all  there  was  in  it"  out  of  the  public  on  its 
imaginative  side,  Murdock  worked  out  his 
fortune   in   more  practical  necessities.    St. 


246  JEWEL  WEED 

Etienne  was  a  western  city,  full  of  growth 
and  therefore  full  of  nieeds.  There  were 
miles  and  miles  of  asphalt  to  be  laid; 
there  were  wooden  sidewalks  crying  out  to 
be  replaced  by  stone;  there  were  lighting 
and  watering  and  park-making;  and  it  was 
astonishing  in  how  many  companies,  doing 
these  things,  Mr.  Murdock  had  a  share,  and 
how  frequently  his  companies  secured  the 
contracts  for  doing  them.  When  rival  con- 
tractors attempted  these  public  works,  there 
were  apt  to  be  strikes  and  complications 
which  seldom  occurred  when  Murdock  had  the 
job.  Then  all  went  smoothly  and  merrily. 
And  this  shows  how  friendship  rules  the 
world.  For  Murdock  was  the  friend  of 
Barry;  and  Barry  was  the  friend  of  the 
strike-ordering  walking-delegates.  If  theso 
three  elements,  representing  the  city  fathers, 
the  contractors  and  the  laborers,  were  all 
satisfied  with  the  way  the  city's  work  was 
being  done,  who  remained  to  cavil?  Cer- 
tainly not  the  citizens.  St.  Etienne 's  wheels 
moved  almost  without  friction. 

But  Murdock  went  further  than  this.  His 
was  a  fine  instinct  for  organization.  He  used 
Barry  like  a  fat  pawn,  moved  down  to  the 
king  row,  until  the  boss  alderman  was  able  to 


THE  RETURN  OF  RAM  JUNA     247 

look  abroad  on  his  noble  army  of  small  office- 
holders and  contractors,  who  could  be  trusted, 
not  only  to  vote  as  directed  (for  to  vote  is  a 
simple  and  ineffectual  thing),  but  also  to 
bring  up  their  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
well-trained  dogs  to  vote,  and,  if  need  be,  to 
vote  again,  and  then  to  see  that  the  votes  were 
properly  counted. 

It  was  to  Murdock's  far-reaching  mind  that 
Barry  was  indebted  for  the  regulation  of 
interests  by  which  almost  every  man  who 
served  the  city,  and  particularly  those  who 
served  it  badly  and  expensively,  was  tied  to 
Barry  by  ties  closer  than  those  of  brotherly 
love.  Whether  official,  contractor  or  work- 
ing-man, they  owed  job  or  contract  to  the 
influence  that  Barry  seemed  to  exercise  in 
the  councils  of  the  city.  It  was  by  Murdock's 
advice  that  the  better  residence  district  was 
well-policed,  well-lighted,  well-paved  and 
generally  contented  with  things  as  they  were. 
By  Murdock's  suggestion  the  city's  interests 
were  zealously  guarded  in  the  discussions  of 
the  council. 

When  a  committee  of  the  Municipal  Club 
visited  that  august  body  to  listen  to  a  debate 
on  a  certain  paving  contract,  they  could  not 
help  being  impressed  by  the  large  knowledge 


248  JEWEL  WEED 

of  materials  and  methods  displayed  by  their 
representatives,  and  the  unanimity  with 
which  they  agreed  that  a  particular  bid  was, 
if  not  the  cheapest,  the  most  deeply  satisfying 
of  those  offered.  What  they  could  not  know 
was  the  ingenuity  with  which  Murdock  saved 
both  the  brain  and  the  time  of  the  council  by 
arranging  its  debate  beforehand.  But  the 
committee  did  mention,  among  themselves, 
the  incongruity  between  the  actual  condition 
of  St.  Etienne  's  streets  and  the  wisdom  of  the 
Solons. 

But,  though  Murdock 's  was  the  brain  to 
originate  and  systematize  schemes  of  plunder 
for  which  Barry  alone  had  been  incapable, 
once  in  a  while  the  ^^boss"  grew  restive  under 
dominion,  in  spite  of  the  knowledge  that,  if 
he  should  once  break  with  the  master  mind, 
he  would  soon  make  some  fatal  mistake  and 
another  would  become  the  whole  show.  So, 
if  the  reign  of  King  Barry  was  for  long  tem- 
perate and  orderly,  it  was  because  Murdock 
impressed  upon  him  that  royal  arrogance 
breeds  discontent  and  finally  revolt,  and  that 
by  big  rake-offs,  on  the  quiet,  enough  could 
be*  gained  to  satisfy  the  ambition  of  a  well- 
regulated  man;  and  that  while  plundering 
was  done  with  decency,  the  reform-talk  of 


THE  EETURN  OF  EAM  JUNA     249 

the  Municipal  Clubites  would  prove  no  more 
useful  nor  ornamental  than  a  Christmas  card. 

^^ Don't  hog  everything!"  as  Murdock 
sagely  put  it.  '^Let  the  other  fellow  have 
the  small  end  of  the  trough,  and  as  long  as  he 
ain  't  hungry,  he  won 't  squeal. ' ' 

With  equal  sternness  he  repressed  Billy's 
fancy  for  fast  horses  and  Mrs.  Billy's  taste 
for  green  velvet  and  diamonds. 

^^It  don't  look  well  on  a  salary  of  eighteen 
hundred,"  he  said.  '^  Just  you  be  contented 
with  having  things  your  own  way  without 
talking  about  it.  Throw  all  the  dust  you  like, 
but  don't  let  it  be  gold  dust." 

^^You  cut  a  pretty  wide  swath  yourself," 
Billy  growled. 

^^I  ain't  a  alderman,  serving  the  city  for 
pure  love  and  a  small  salary,"  grinned  the 
other.  ^^A  contractor's  got  a  right  to  make 
money. ' ' 

^^You  make  money  out  o'  me,"  said  Billy 
sourly.  ^^You  keep  me  under  your  big  fat 
ugly  thumb.  I  guess  I  can  run  this  business 
alone.  I  got  all  the  strings  pretty  well  in 
my  own  hand." 

*'A11  right,  Barry.  I'll  be  sorry  to  be  on 
the  other  side,  but  if  you  say  so,  all  right." 

Barry  swore  a  moment  under  his  breath 


250  JEWEL  WEED 

and  changed  the  subject.  So  matters  went 
on,  with  Barry  still  subservient,  but  growing 
daily  more  inclined  to  believe  himself  the 
autocrat  he  seemed,  daily  a  little  less  cau- 
tious, a  little  more  fixed  in  his  assurance  that 
the  office-holders,  the  delegates  and  the 
saloon  men  constituted,  in  themselves,  a  suffi- 
cient prop  for  his  dominion,  and  that  Mur- 
dock  was  a  nuisance. 

^^Of  course,  it's  to  his  interest  to  keep  me 
under,"  he  said  to  himself,  '^and  I  dunno' 
whether  I'm  a  fool  to  let  him  do  it,  or  whether 
I'm  a  fool  to  try  to  break  away." 

He  began  to  try  flyers  on  his  own  hook; 
he  gathered  many  rake-offs  of  which  he  said 
nothing  to  his  mentor;  he  drank  a  little 
more  and  splurged  a  little  more  and  looked 
a  little  more  like  a  bulldog  and  less  like  a 
man.  That  the  spirit  of  rebellion  was  grow- 
ing up  and  that  the  pawn  began  to  take  credit 
to  itself  for  the  position  of  power  in  which 
it  was  placed,  came  gradually  home  to  Mr. 
Murdock.  It  made  him  at  first  annoyed,  then 
anxious.  So  it  was  that  the  confidence  bred 
from  years  of  business  cooperation  drove  him 
this  night  to  look  up  his  old  partner. 

^* Evening,  Early,"  he  said  as  the  door 
closed  behind  him.     '*  Beastly  cold  night  out. 


THE  RETURN  OF  RAM  JUNA     251 

Wish  you'd  order  me  a  little  something  hot 
to  induce  me  to  stay  by  this  comfortable  fire 
of  yours." 

Mr.  Early  waved  his  hand  toward  a  chair 
and  settled  himself  without  ceremony.  There 
was  this  comfort  in  Murdock :  they  had  known 
each  other  too  long  for  pose,  and,  though  the 
old  hook-and-eye  partnership  was  dissolved, 
and  Mr.  Early  had  soared  into  the  realms  of 
Art,  they  were  still  closely  bound  by  common 
interests.  So  Sebastian  met  him  with  cheer- 
ful resignation. 

^^Sit  down,  Jim,"  he  said.  ^^I  don't  mind 
a  nip  myself.    What's  up?" 

'^What's  down,  you'd  better  ask.  Lord 
save  us !  What's  that?"  exclaimed  Mr.  Mur- 
dock, as  he  caught  sight  of  the  lurid  lady 
lying  amid  the  litter  on  the  table. 

^^ That's  the  cover  of  my  next  magazine. 
Never  mind  it.     It's  not  in  your  line." 

'^Well,  I  should  say  not,"  said  the  other 
with  a  slow  grin.  ^^I've  been  pretty  much 
vituperated  for  some  of  my  business  deals, 
but  I  never  sprung  a  thing  like  that  on 
the  public.  ^Forget  thyself!'  That's  good, 
Early."  He  winked  a  wink  that  came  more 
from  the  soul  than  from  the  eye. 

^^Oh,  drop  it,  Jim,"  said  Mr.  Early,  re- 


252  JEWEL  WEED 

lapsing  into  the  old  vernacular.  **I'm  sick  of 
everything  to-night.  Here's  your  cocktail. 
Help  yourself  to  a  cigar." 

'^You  ought  to  get  married,  instead  of  sit- 
ting here  with  the  blues  all  by  yourself.  Tell 
you,  a  warm  little  wife  is  a  nice  thing  to  come 
home  to. ' ' 

' '  Thank  you,  Jim, ' '  said  Mr.  Early  dryly. 

They  sank  into  silence,  a  comfortable  si- 
lence, permeated  with  the  fragrance  of  to- 
bacco, with  warmth  in  the  cardiac  region,  and 
with  that  crackle  of  burning  logs  that  satis- 
fieth  the  soul.  But  occasionally  Mr.  Early 
shot  a  sharp  glance  at  his  companion,  and  his 
study  did  not  reassure  him.     At  last  he  spoke. 

^^Well,  out  with  it,  Jim.  It's  evident  that 
you've  something  on  your  mind." 

'^You're  right,  I  have,"  said  Murdock  with 
sudden  emphasis.  ^^I  don't  know  whether 
you  can  help  me,  but  it's  second  nature  for  me 
to  try  you.  I'm  getting  anxious  about  Barry 
and  affairs  connected  with  him." 

*^What  about  Barry?  I  thought  you  had 
him  in  your  pocket. ' ' 

*^0h,  I've  still  got  him  in  the  pocket  over 
my  heart,  and  buttoned  down  tight, ' '  said  Mr. 
Murdock  grimly.  *'It's  because  he  belongs 
to  me  that  I'm  looking  out  for  him." 


THE  EETURN  OF  EAM  JUNA     253 

^^  Well,"  said  Mr.  Early,  and  he  leaned  for- 
ward nervously  to  poke  the  fire  that  needed 
no  poking. 

*'Well!  In  spite  of  me,  Billy's  getting 
restless.  He's  getting  worse  than  restless, 
and  I'm  afraid  to  think  how  he  may  break  out. 
You  know  how  he  loses  his  sense  once  in  a 
while.  Have  you  noticed  how  the  Star  has 
been  running  him  of  late?"  Mr.  Murdock 
slowly  gathered  force  in  stating  his  griev- 
ances. 

^^Yes,  I've  noticed  it,"  said  Mr.  Early. 

^^The  Star  is  the  only  paper  I  haven't  got 
a  strangle  hold  of — at  least  so  I  thought.  But 
some  of  the  other  dailies  are  butting  in.  Say 
they're  afraid  not  to.  Of  course,  an  occa- 
sional black  eye  is  all  in  the  day's  work.  It 
rather  helps  things  along.  Billy  expects  it, 
and  he  isn't  thin-skinned.  It  doesn't  make 
much  difference  as  long  as  our  own  organs 
print  what  they're  told.  But,  say,  this  thing 
is  going  beyond  a  joke.  Billy  has  been  really 
cut  up  over  the  way  this  coroner  business  is 
getting  home  to  the  public.  He  says  if  there 
is  going  to  be  squirming,  he'll  look  out  that 
there  are  other  people  squirming  besides  him- 
self. I  suppose  that's  meant  as  a  threat  for 
me.    You  know  there  are  things  —  even  af- 


254  JEWEL  WEED 

fairs  that  you  are  interested  in,  Sebastian  — 
that  are  all  on  the  square,  you  know,  and  per- 
fectly right,  but  they  take  too  much  explain- 
ing for  the  public  ever  to  understand  them. ' ' 

^^I  know,"  said  Mr.  Early,  still  poking  the 
fire. 

' '  And  do  you  know  who  is  back  of  the  whole 
rumpus  ? ' ' 

''Who?"  demanded  Mr.  Early  sharply, 
looking  up. 

''Primarily  this  infernal  next-door  neigh- 
bor of  yours." 

^'Percival?" 

"Percival.  He's  too  much  of  a  kid  to  put 
himself  forward,  but  he's  really  the  whole 
thing.  He's  been  sneaking  around  town  for 
months,  picking  up  information.  He  has  a 
confounded  cheerful  way  of  making  friends 
that  has  cut  him  out  for  the  job  of  politics,  if 
he  would  just  put  himself  on  the  right  side. 
Of  course  he  has  no-  more  idea  of  practical 
politics  than — "  Mr.  Murdock  looked  around 
for  an  object  of  comparison  and  concluded 
lamely,  "than  that  girl  on  your  magazine 
cover.    And  what  do  you  think  is  the  latest? ' ' 

"What?" 

"He's  stirred  up  that  mare's  nest  of  a  dude 
club  till  they've  taken  to  sending  a  committee 


THE  EETUKN  OF  RAM  JUNA     255 

to  attend  every  meeting  of  the  council  — 
which  is  irritating. ' ' 

*^Bnt  not  necessarily  serious." 

^^Not  in  itself,  though  it's  getting  on 
Barry's  nerves,  as  you  people  of  fashion  say. 
To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  Ve  had  to  make  a  con- 
cession to  Barry,  just  to  keep  him  in  order.  I 
preferred  him  right  on  the  council  where  he 
is,  but  he's  got  a  bee  in  his  top-hat.  He 
wants  to  run  for  mayor.  I  suppose  he  wants 
to  show  people  what  a  great  man  he  really  is. 
I  gave  in  to  him  on  that  point.  Now  here 
comes  in  the  thing  that  made  me  look  you  up. 
Barry  has  some  sort  of  an  acquaintance  with 
this  Percival  fellow,  and  when  he  proclaimed 
his  intentions,  Percival  jumped  on  him  with  a 
flat  defiance  —  told  him  that  he  had  proof  of 
a  disreputable  affair  in  Barry's  career  that 
would  queer  him  with  the  whole  community. 
How  your  neighbor  got  hold  of  this  thing, 
I'm  jiggered  if  I  can  guess.  I  thought  I  was 
the  only  man  in  the  city  that  knew  it,  and  it 
has  been  my  chief  club  to  keep  Barry  in 
order.  But  however  he  got  them,  Per- 
cival's  facts  were  all  square,  and  Barry  col- 
lapsed. Now,  these  two  patched  up  an 
agreement.  Barry  promised  to  give  up  his 
candidacy  for  mayor,  and  stay  in  his  seat  in 


256  JEWEL  "WEED 

the  council,  and  Percival,  on  his  part,  agreed 
to  keep  quiet. ' ' 

''Well,  that  suits  you  all  right." 

''It  would  if  it  ended  there,  but  what  I 
started  out  to  tell  you  is  this :  the  Municipal 
Club  is  beginning  to  take  up  city  politics  in 
earnest.  They  are  organizing  systematically 
in  every  ward  to  be  ready  for  a  fight  for  the 
council  in  next  fall 's  election,  and,  to  cap  the 
climax,  I  was  told  to-day  that  they  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  Preston  to  run  for  mayor. 
Now  you  know  they  could  hardly  have  picked 
out  a  worse  man,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned. 
Preston  is  popular  and  strong,  and  he's  per- 
fectly unapproachable.  I  'd  as  soon  tackle  the 
law  of  gravitation.  It  isn't  even  pleasant  for 
respectable  citizens,  like  you  and  me,  to  come 
out  publicly  against  the  whole  movement. 
We  can't  afford  to  do  it.  Everything  we  do 
has  got  to  be  done  on  the  quiet. ' ' 

"You  needn't  get  so  hot,  Jim.  It'll  blow 
over.  This  kind  of  thing  always  does.  It's 
only  spasmodic.     You  ought  to  know  that.'^ 

"Well,  it's  taking  a  very  inconvenient  time 
for  its  spasms.  It  may  result  in  spasmodi- 
cally losing  Billy  his  seat  in  the  council  in 
November.  Nice  thing  if  we  didn't  have  a 
clear    majority    of    aldermen    next    winter, 


THE  EETUEN  OF  EAM  JUNA     257 

wouldn't  it?"  Mr.  Murdock  was  becoming 
finely  sarcastic  in  his  rage. 

^^I  suppose  it  would  be  inconvenient,"  as- 
sented Mr.  Early. 

^^Inconvenient!"  growled  Murdock.  *^Is 
that  the  strongest  swear  word  you  can  raise  ? 
Do  you  happen  to  remember  that  the  lighting 
franchise  expires  next  fall  ?  Now  do  we  want 
it  renewed,  or  do  we  not  ?  Can  we  afford  to 
lose  the  biggest  thing  we've  got?  Do  we 
want  Billy  to  see  it  through,  or  do  we  not?" 

*  ^  We  certainly  do. ' ' 

'^Well,  what  do  you  propose  to  do 
about  it?" 

^^I  don't  see  that  there  is  much  to  do  except 
to  sit  pat,  and  let  it  blow  over." 

^^  Suppose  when  it  blew  over  it  should  be 
a  cyclone  and  you  and  me  in  the  cellar?  No 
siree,  I'm  no  sitter-down.  I'm  a  fighter,  even 
when  I  fight  in  secret.  Damn  this  feller, 
Percival,  and  his  gift  for  making  friends  and 
stirring  up  enthusiasm  for  himself!  I  sus- 
pect he  has  ambitions.  So  much  the  worse 
for  him,  if  James  Murdock  is  in  the  ring 
against  him.  Do  you  know  my  inferences? 
I  am  sure  he  is  not  one  of  the  invulnerables. 
The  fact  that  he  made  a  concession  to  Barry 
gives  him   away.    He    didn't   need   to.    If 


258  JEWEL  WEED 

Barry  can  work  him  by  a  little  flattery  and 
an  appeal  to  their  shoddy  friendship,  he's 
not  one  of  yonr  ont-and-ont,  no-compromise, 
reform-or-die  fellows.  Say,  Early,  you  know 
him  well.     Can 't  you  get  at  him  ? ' ' 

Mr.  Early  gave  one  of  those  roundabout 
motions  that  suggest  a  desire  to  wriggle  out 
of  the  whole  matter,  and  answered  slowly : 

^^I  shouldn't  wonder  if  the  entire  business 
petered  out,  anyway.  It's  almost  a  year  to 
the  next  election,  and  Percival  is  going  to  be 
married  in  a  few  weeks  to  a  pretty  little  girl, 
who  would  never  stir  a  man's  ambitions  to 
anything  more  than  a  smart  carriage  and 
pair.  He 's  turned  idiotic  about  her,  and  let 's 
hope  he'll  stay  so.  Just  at  present  I  don't 
believe  all  the  boodle  and  graft  in  the  world 
would  turn  a  hair  on  him.  Love  and  politics, 
niy  boy,  are  no  more  congenial  than  water 
and  oil  —  especially  if  the  politics  is  rancid." 

^^We'll  have  to  go  into  partnership  with  the 
lady  to  keep  him  down,"  said  Murdock  with 
a  grin.  '^I've  formed  more  unlikely  alliances 
than  that  in  my  time.  Why,  good  Lord! 
what's  that?"  he  exclaimed  for  the  second 
time  that  night. 

His  eyes  had  fallen  upon  a  tall  white 
column  at  the  back  of  the  room,  and  at  his 


THE  EETUEN  OF  EAM  JUNA     259 

words  the  column  moved  forward  and  dis- 
played the  flowing  robes,  the  snowy  white  tur- 
ban, the  gleaming  ruby  of  Eam  Juna. 

' '  Pardon  my  interruption, ' '  said  the  Hindu 
courteously.  '^I  have  been  out.  I  am  but 
just  returned.  And  I  come  to  assure  myself 
that  all  is  well  with  my  admirable  host." 

^'Ah,  Murdock,  this  is  my  friend,  the 
Swami.  He's  going  to  stay  with  me  while 
he  writes  a  book.  I've  given  him  the  west 
ell,  off  in  the  quiet  of  the  garden,  you  know," 
said  Mr.  Early. 

'^With  kindness  you  give  it.  Obligation  is 
mine,"  said  the  Swami,  with  a  deferential 
movement  of  his  hands.  ''And  I  go  at  once 
to  devote  myself  to  my  greatest  work.  But 
now  I  have  visited  a  lady,  Mrs.  Appleton,  who 
has  great  interest  in  me,  and  who  desires  to 
form  what  she  calls  a  class.  I  call  it,  rather, 
a  circle  of  my  friends. ' ' 

''And  what  do  you  do  with  them?"  asked 
Mr.  Murdock,  with  the  same  bald  curiosity 
that  one  displays  at  the  zoo  before  the  per- 
forming seals. 

"We  increase  the  sum  of  nobility  in  the 
world,"  said  the  Swami  softly.  "We  sit  to- 
gether in  long  white  robes,  such  as  you  see  on 
me,  and  we  pour  out  love  upon  the  universe." 


260  JEWEL  WEED 

*^0h!"  said  Mr.  Mnrdock.  He  was  too  as- 
tonished to  pursue  his  investigations. 

^^It  is  a  serene  and  blessed  occupation," 
said  the  Swami. 

*^And  do  they — does  the  class  pay  for 
that?"  Murdock  recovered  so  far  as  to  ask. 

'^Pay?  Not  so!"  said  the  Swami  indig- 
nantly. ^^I  ask  of  life  no  more  than  a  bare 
existence  and  that,  a  thousand  times  that,  is 
mine,  by  the  benevolence  of  Mr.  Early. ' ' 

^ ^They're  devilish  pretty  women,  some  of 
'em,  though.  You  have  that  reward,"  said 
Mr.  Early  jocularly. 

The  Swami  cast  on  him  a  glance  of  cow- 
like anger,  but  Mr.  Murdock  went  on  persist- 
ently :  ^  ^  And  they  don 't  give  you  any  money 
at  all?" 

'^For  myself,  no.  Some,  if  it  harmonize 
with  their  desires,  make  contribution  through 
me  to  the  great  temple  in  India,  where  the 
brothers  may  assemble,  a  sacred  spot  among 
the  lonely  hills.  Some  give  to  that,  but  not  to 
me.  But  I  must  no  longer  interrupt.  I  have 
made  my  salute.    I  go  to  my  remote  room." 

With  a  reverential  movement  of  the  head, 
the  white  column  moved  away. 

''Gee!"  said  Mr.  Murdock.  ''Can  you 
stand  that  kind  of  thing  around  all  the  time?" 


THE  RETURN  OF  RAM  JUNA     261 

*^0h,  I'm  interested  in  all  kinds  of  people," 
said  Mr.  Early.  *^And  he's  the  most  inof- 
fensive creature.  I  shall  hardly  see  him. 
He  intends  to  lock  himself  up  out  there  in  his 
room  most  of  the  time.  He  meditates  in 
silence  ten  hours  a  day  and  comes  forth  to 
give  a  lecture  that  nobody  understands. 
He 's  going  to  be  all  the  rage. ' ' 

^^And,  of  course,  if  he's  the  rage,  you  have 
him.  I  wish  you'd  make  Billy  Barry  the 
rage,"  said  Murdock. 

''It's  all  I  can  do  to  popularize  myself," 
said  Early  whimsically.  ''I'll  think  over  the 
situation  a  bit,  Jim,  and  see  if  I  can  see  any 
way  out  from  under.  Of  course,  Percival 
hasn't  any  record  by  which  you  can  discredit 
him  and  keep  his  mouth  shut  —  at  least  not 

yet." 

As  Mr.  Murdock  took  a  last  sip  at  the  cock- 
tail and  made  an  unceremonious  exit,  again 
Mr.  Early  settled  himself  for  a  period  of  re- 
pose, and  again  he  was  interrupted. 

"Pardon,"  said  the  deep  voice  of  the 
Swami.  "You  sit  alone.  Is  it  permitted 
that  I  repose  here  and  join  your  meditations? 
For  a  few  moments  ?   In  silence,  if  you  will  ? ' ' 

"I  wish  you'd  pour  out  a  little  rest,"  said 
Early.    "I'm  tired." 


262  JEWEL  WEED 

^^In  spirit  and  in  body,"  answered  the 
Swami.  *  ^  The  rush  of  the  wheel  of  life,  it  ex- 
hausts. But  I  comprehend.  I  also  am  a 
man.  The  great  world  of  business  has  its 
necessities  and  its  value.  My  outer  nature 
shares  in  it.  Ah,  you  know  not.  You  think 
of  me  only  on  one  side  of  being.  But,  like 
you,  I  have  my  sympathies  with  many 
things." 

Mr.  Early  made  no  reply,  but  sank  deeper 
into  his  chair.  The  two  sat  long  in  silence. 
Sebastian  looked  at  the  fire  and  Began  to  build 
up  a  picture  of  Madeline 's  face.  The  Hindu 
was  apparently  lost  to  the  surrounding  world, 
and  yet  he  occasionally  darted  a  glance  of 
swift,  animal-like  inquiry  at  his  host. 

*^  Neither  do  I  like  the  young  man  Perci- 
val,"  he  said  placidly,  and  Mr.  Early  started. 

^^It  is  your  next  neighbor,  Percival,  is  it 
not,  who  annoys?"  the  Swami  inquired 
equably.  ^ '  The  youth  who  sneers  when  first 
I  speak  at  your  house?  In  India,  now,  one 
may  do  many  things  that  are  here  impossible. 
Ah,  but  yes,  you  say,  here  you  may  do  many 
things  that  are  in  India  impossible.  So  goes 
it.  Still  more.  The  same  forces  exist  ev- 
erywhere; but  we  in  India,  we  understand 
the  forces  that  you,  brilliant  workers  with 


THE  RETURN  OF  RAM  JUNA     263 

the  superficial,  you  do  not  understand.  I 
shall  be  glad  to  help  the  benevolent  Early,  if 
at  any  time  my  services  are  of  value.  I  know 
to  do  many  things  besides  to  meditate." 

Mr.  Early  stared  in  amazement  at  the  un- 
moved face  before  him,  a  face  almost  as 
round  and  mystifying  as  the  syllable  ^^Om", 
on  which  its  thoughts  were  supposed  to  be 
centered. 

^^And,  remember,  I,  too,  dislike  the  young 
man  Percival,"  pursued  the  Swami  blandly. 

Mr.  Early's  mind  suddenly  stiffened  with 
horror. 

^'See  here,"  he  exclaimed,  sitting  up, 
^^you  understand  Mr.  Percival  is  no  enemy  of 
mine.  He  is,  in  fact,  a  friend.  You  mustn't 
think  you'd  be  doing  me  a  kindness  by  —  ah 
—  injuring  him  in  any  way." 

'^My  understanding,"  said  the  Swami,  still 
unmoved.  ^^Fear  no  midnight  assassination, 
noble  friend.  That  is  petty — and  dangerous. 
I  am  not  oblivious  of  the  conventionalities. 
But  the  mind  may  be  reached,  as  well  as  the 
body.  Percival  may  do  as  I — ^you — ^we — 
wish.  The  higher  animal  at  all  times  controls 
the  lower.  Perhaps,  at  some  time,  I  may 
serve  you.  But  you  weary.  The  body  makes 
demands.     I  bid  you  good  night." 


264  JEWEL  WEED 

He  put  out  a  great  paw,  and  Mr.  Early 
grasped  it  weakly,  feeling  that  he  was  in  the 
position  of  one  who  has  started  an  oil 
''gusher"  and  can  not  control  its  flow.  He 
might  have  to  light  it  to  get  rid  of  it. 

To  his  own  room  went  Ram  Juna,  occa- 
sionally nodding  his  head  in  his  serene  man- 
ner. He  carefully  locked  behind  him  the 
door  which  connected  his  wing  with  the  rest 
of  the  house.  A  few  moments  he  paused 
listening,  then  he  crossed  his  bedroom  and  the 
narrow  passage  that  opened  on  the  garden 
and  entered  the  little  unused  room  beyond. 
Here  all  was  dark,  inky  dark,  for  the  heavy 
shutters  on  the  street  side  of  the  room  were 
closed  and  barred  and  the  shades  on  the  gar- 
den front  were  drawn,  shutting  out  what 
dim  rays  the  departed  sun  had  left  the  night. 
The  Swami  apparently  had  no  need  of  greater 
light,  for,  neglecting  the  electric  button  near 
the  door,  he  groped  quietly  about,  struck  a 
match  and  lighted  a  single  candle,  with  which 
he  returned  to  the  hallway  and  opened  the 
garden  door,  standing  for  a  moment  with 
the  taper  flickering  in  the  rush  of  cold  air 
that  poured  in  from  outside.  When  he 
stepped  back  and  closed  the  door,  there  stood 
beside  him  another  man,  clean-shaven,  lean, 


THE  RETURN  OF  RAM  JUNA     265 

sharp-nosed  and  ferret-eyed,  whose  footstep 
was  almost  as  light  as  that  of  the  Swami  him- 
self. Neither  of  them  spoke  until  they 
reached  the  smaller  room  and  the  door  was 
locked. 

^^You  shiver,  my  friend,"  said  Ram  Juna. 
^^The  night  is  cold." 

^'Freezin',  an'  so'm  I,"  said  the  other 
shortly.  ^^You  keep  me  waiting  a  devil  of  a 
time." 

^^  Business,  oh  my  friend,  business.  Can  I 
utter  a  word  to  the  ears  of  your  nationality 
more  convincing?  I  was  necessitated  to  con- 
verse with  my  host,  the  rich  and  amiable 
Early.  Ah,  the  nature  of  humanity  is  eter- 
nally interesting. ' ' 

His  companion  grinned. 

^^ Which  means,  being  interpreted,  youVe 
got  some  lay,  I  suppose.    What  is  it?" 

*' Abruptness  is  to  me  foreign,"  said  the 
Swami,  waving  his  great  hand  with  its  com- 
bination of  fat  palm  and  taper  fingers.  **It 
disturbs  me.  Perhaps,  some  day,  I  shall  need 
tell  you.  The  amiable  Early  is  as  are  all 
mankind.  On  the  one  side  he  gropes  among 
infinities.  Do  we  not  all  so?  On  the  other 
side  he  is  tied  by  this  body  of  clay  to  the 
groveling  earth.     Are  we  not  all  so  ?     Am  not 


266  JEWEL  WEED 

even  I  myself?"  The  Swami  turned  benevo- 
lently toward  the  other. 

^^You  bet!  And  you  can  sling  language 
about  it!"  said  the  man,  and  he  opened  his 
rat's  mouth  and  laughed  without  noise. 
Even  Ram  Juna's  face  relaxed  into  its 
Buddha  smile,  calm,  inscrutable,  as  the  two 
gazed  on  each  other.  Suddenly  the  younger 
drew  himself  together. 

'^Well,  I  ain't  got  no  time  to  spare,"  he 
said.     ''Are  they  ready?" 

''I,  as  well  as  you  Americans,  can  be  the 
votary  of  business,"  answered  Ram  Juna. 
''The  first  principle  of  business  is  prompti- 
tude.   My  friend,  they  are  ready." 

"Well,  hand  'em  over,"  said  the  little  man. 
"Now  my  job  begins ;  and  I  guess  it's  as  tick- 
lish as  yours.  You  may  need  the  skill,  but  I 
need  the  gall." 

"The  daring  of  the  leopard  when  it  leaps 
from  the  bush  where  it  crouches,  the  daring 
which  is  half  cunning,  eh,  my  friend?"  said 
the  Swami  comfortably.  "Here,  take  the 
package  and  go  thy  way.  There  will  be  more 
in  the  future.  These  I  brought  with  me  from 
India,  and  even  the  eagle  customs  found  them 
not.  Many  night-hours  have  I  spent  in  pre- 
paring them,  and  mine  eyes  have  been  robbed 


THE  EETURN  OF  EAM  JUNA    267 

of  sleep.  It  is  no  slight  task  to  produce  a 
masterpiece." 

^'Well,  you  certainly  are  a  dandy,"  said 
the  man,  examining  the  contents  of  his  pack- 
age. ^^I  never  seen  anything  like  it.  And 
those  big  hands,  too." 

^^My  hands  obey  the  skill  of  my  mind. 
And  here,  under  the  shadow  of  the  Early,  I 
can  work  with  purer  courage.  This  is  the 
perfection  of  a  place.  It  was  the  idea  of 
genius  to  come  here.  Hold,  let  me  examine 
the  way  before  thou  goest." 

'^Aw,  there  won't  be  any  body  in  the  gar- 
den at  this  time  o'  night,  and  at  this  time  o' 
year. ' ' 

^'Nay,  but  it  is  the  wise  man  who  leaves 
no  loophole  for  mistake,"  said  the  Hindu, 
with  practical  caution. 

He  blew  out  the  light  and  stepped  in  dark- 
ness to  the  entrance  with  the  air  of  one  who 
would  refresh  his  soul  by  gazing  at  the  stars 
and  wiping  out  the  trivialities  of  the  day. 
After  he  had  looked  at  the  heavens,  his  eyes 
fell  with  piercing  swiftness  upon  the  shadows 
of  the  garden,  its  bushes,  manlike  or  animal- 
like in  the  night. 

It  was  as  complete  a  piece  of  acting  as 
though  a  large  audience  had  been  there  to 


268  JEWEL  WEED 

see,  but  all  thrown  away  on  silence  and  soli- 
tude. 

^^ Coast  clear?"  said  a  voice  behind  him. 

' '  All  is  well, ' '  said  the  Swami.  ' '  Go  forth 
to  fortune/' 

The  door  closed  softly,  and  Earn  Juna 
sought  the  repose  he  had  earned. 


CHAPTER  Xy 

THE   HONEYMOON 

f 

The  first  months  of  winter  were  full  of  ex- 
citement to  Lena.  She  frequently  assured 
herself  that  she  was  rapturously  happy,  but, 
while  intellectually  she  accepted  the  fact,  no 
genial  warmth  pervaded  her  consciousness. 
The  entrance  to  her  new  life  was  too  brier- 
sprinkled  for  bliss.  Daily  to  face  her 
mother's  mingling  of  complaisance,  self-pity 
and  fault-finding;  to  meet  Dick's  friends, 
whom  Lena,  in  her  suspicions,  regarded  as 
thinly-disguised  enemies;  to  scrimp  together 
some  little  show  of  bridal  finery  for  her  quiet 
wedding;  all  this  filled  her  with  mingled  irri- 
tation and  gratification. 

Most  aggravating  of  all  were  the  persistent 
attentions  of  Miss  Madeline  Elton.  No  one 
likes  to  be  loved  as  a  matter  of  duty,  certainly 
not  Lena  Quincy,  whose  shrewd  little  soul 
easily  divined  that  this  equable  warmth  of 
manner,  which  she  dubbed  snippy  condescen- 

269 


270  JEWEL  WEED 

sion,  sprang  from  affection  for  Dick  and  Mrs. 
Percival  and  not  for  herself.  Madeline  set 
Lena's  teeth  on  edge,  and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  Lena  often  did  as  much  for  Madeline,  but 
each  politely  kept  her  sensations  to  herself. 
Miss  Elton  always  assured  her  optimistic  soul 
that  things  would  come  out  all  right,  that 
love  was  a  great  developer,  that  small  vul- 
garities of  mind  were  the  result  of  associa- 
tion. 

Lena,  on  the  other  hand,  might  have  broken 
friendly  relations  once  and  for  all  except  that 
she  found  Miss  Elton  both  useful  and  inter- 
esting. A  friendly  and  very  sly  conspiracy 
between  Madeline  and  Mrs.  Percival  had  for 
its  object  the  helping  out  of  Lena's  meager 
trousseau  by  certain  little  gifts,  and  even  of 
money  delicately  proffered  so  that  it  might 
not  wound  a  sensitive  pride;  and  since  Mrs. 
Percival  was  a  victim  to  invalidish  habits,  it 
fell  to  Madeline  to  act  as  executive  committee. 
But  they  need  not  have  troubled  themselves 
about  delicacy,  for  Miss  Lena  greedily  gob- 
bled everything  that  was  offered  to  her,  with 
pretty  expressions  of  gratitude,  to  be  sure, 
but  internal  irritation  because  the  donors 
were  not  more  lavish. 

Madeline,  who  would  have  shrunk  from 


THE  HONEYMOON  271 

accepting  a  gift  except  from  one  she  really 
loved,  of  course  expected  Lena  to  feel  the 
same  way,  and  every  one  of  these  presents 
given  and  taken  was  to  her  an  assurance 
strong  of  a  new  bond  between  them.  So  they 
shopped  together,  and  Lena  modestly  picked 
out  some  appallingly  cheap  affair  and  said: 

'^You  know  I  feel  that  is  the  best  I  can  af- 
ford. ' '  And  Madeline  would  whisper, ' '  Take 
the  other,  dear,  and  let  the  difference  be  a 
small  wedding  present  from  me.  Won't  you 
be  so  generous?"  and  Lena  was  so  generous; 
but  she  told  herself  that  they  were  not  doing 
it  for  her,  but  only  because  they  were 
ashamed  that  Dick  should  have  a  shabby 
bride.  And  perhaps  she  was  right.  It  is 
pretty  hard  to  analyze  human  motives,  so  you 
may  always  take  your  choice,  and  fix  your 
mind  either  on  the  good  ones  or  on  the  bad 
ones,  whichever  suit  you  best.  Doubtless 
they  are  both  there. 

Sometimes  Lena  wished  that  she  had  been 
given  a  lump  sum  and  allowed  to  browse 
alone,  for  she  felt  her  taste  pruned  and  pin- 
ioned by  the  very  presence  of  Miss  Elton, 
who,  though  she  never  ventured  to  criticize, 
had  yet  a  depressing  influence  on  Lena's  ex- 
uberant fancies. 


272  JEWEL  WEED 

Once,  after  such  a  silent  sacrifice  on  her 
part,  Madeline  and  she  drove  np  to  the  Per- 
civals'  for  five-o'clock  tea.  Her  future 
mother-in-law  was  in  the  accustomed  seat,  and 
Lena  found  a  footstool  near  at  hand,  with  a 
pretty  air  of  afiFectionate  proprietorship  that 
brought  a  glow  to  Dick's  face. 

^^Yes,"  said  Lena  with  a  charming  pout, 
''I'm  utterly  played  out,  getting  myself  ready 
for  your  approval,  sir. ' ' 

''Poor  little  girl,"  he  whispered.  "If  you 
only  knew  what  an  easy  task  that  ought  to 
be!" 

"I'm  so  glad  Madeline  can  go  with  you," 
Mrs.  Percival  said,  patting  the  girl's  hand 
approvingly.  "I  always  think  she  has  such 
perfect  taste.  Some  people  get  fine  clothes 
and  then  make  an  heroic  effort  to  live  up  to 
them,  but  Madeline  has  the  supreme  gift  of 
managing  clothes  that  seem  a  part  of  her- 
self." 

It  is  impossible  to  tell  how  a  speech  like 
this  rankled  in  Lena.  Sometimes  she  had  a 
wild  impulse  to  stand  up  and  stamp  and 
scream  out,  "I  hate  the  whole  lot  of  you!" 
but  she  never  did.  She  kept  on  smiling  and 
purring  and  longing  for  the  freedom  which 
would  come  when  she  was  safely  married,  had 


THE  HONEYMOON  273 

passed  her  initiation  ceremonies,  and  could 
command  her  own  money. 

But  it  was  wonderful  what  a  fascination 
she  felt  for  everything  that  concerned  Miss 
Elton.  Every  act,  every  garment,  every  in- 
flection of  the  girl  she  hated  most  was  inter- 
esting to  her.  She  watched  Madeline  like  a 
cat,  and  disliked  her  more  and  more. 

At  length  came  the  new  year,  and  the  day 
when  Lena  sat  in  a  carriage  by  Dick's  side 
and  was  whirled  away  on  that  journey  that 
was  to  take  her  out  of  the  old  and  into  the 
new.  Her  hour-old  husband  looked  at  her 
with  an  expression  half-quizzical,  half -ador- 
ing as  she  sat  back  and  glanced  up  with  a 
heartfelt  sigh,  secure  at  last  of  her  position 
as  the  wife  of  Eichard  Percival.  Until  this 
moment  she  had  never  wholly  believed  it. 

^'I'm  glad  the  wedding's  over,"  she  said. 

^'And  I.  More  glad  that  our  married  life 
has  begun.  Lena,  Lena,  how  beautiful  you 
are !  "When  you  came  down  the  aisle,  I  hardly 
dared  to  look  at  you ;  and  yet  it  seems  to  me 
now  that  you  are  more  lovely  here  alone  with 
me.  I  should  think  God  would  have  been 
afraid  to  make  such  eyes  and  lips  and  hair, 
sweetheart,  knowing  that  He  could  never  sur- 
pass them." 


274  JEWEL  WEED 

He  softly  touched  the  little  curl  that  crept 
out  from  below  her  hat  and  kissed  the  up- 
turned mouth  in  that  ecstasy  that  borders  on 
awe. 

^^Now,"  he  said,  ^^you  are  never  so  much 
as  to  think  of  anything  unpleasant  for  the 
rest  of  your  life.  I  wonder  what  you  will 
most  like  to  do  I " 

'^Buy  all  the  clothes  I  want,"  cried  Lena 
with  such  a  deliciously  whimsical  twist  of  her 
little  lips  that  Dick  laughed  at  her  irresistible 
wit.  That  was  coming  to  be  one  of  Lena's 
most  fetching  little  ways,  to  say  what  she 
meant  as  though  it  were  the  last  thing  in  the 
world  that  could  be  expected  of  her.  It  was 
piquant. 

It  was  no  time  of  year  to  dally  in  true 
lovers'  fashion  under  pine  trees  in  some  re- 
mote solitude,  so  Dick  took  her  to  cities  and 
theaters  and  big  shops  and  got  his  fun  out 
of  watching  her  revel  with  open  purse.  Their 
honeymoon  was  more  full  of  occupation  and 
less  of  rapture  and  sweet  isolated  intimacy 
than  Dick  could  have  wished,  but  it  was  much 
to  watch  the  color  come  and  go  on  her  cheek 
in  her  moments  of  excitement,  to  fulfil  every 
capricious  whim  of  her  who  had  been  starved 
in  her  feminine  hunger  of  caprice,  to  punctu- 


THE  HONEYMOON  275 

ate  the  rush  of  life  by  celestial  moments  when 
she  rested  a  tired  but  bewildering  head 
against  his  shoulder  and  listened  silently  with 
drooping  lids  to  all  he  had  to  say,  to  feel 
that  he  could  answer  the  admiring  glances  of 
other  men  with  the  triumphant  knowledge, 
'^AU  this  loveliness  is  mine — only  mine." 
Lena  was  so  happy,  so  outrageously  happy, — 
and  so  shyly  affectionate,  what  could  the  young 
husband  do  but  take  with  content  the  gifts 
the  gods  provided ;  and  Dick  was  lavish  and 
easily  cajoled.  The  simple  trousseau  helped 
out  by  Miss  Elton  suddenly  swelled  to  new 
and  magnificent  proportions.  Lena  blos- 
somed and  glowed ;  she  tricked  herself  out  in 
the  finery  that  he  provided  and  paraded  be- 
fore him  and  the  glass  until  they  both  laughed 
with  delight.  Dick  felt  that  he  was  playing 
with  a  new  and  sublimated  doll,  it  was  all  so 
amusing,  so  inconsequential,  and  such  fun. 
Although  he  wondered  a  little  where  it  would 
be  appropriate  to  wear  the  enormous  pink 
hat  with  drooping  plumes  which  perched  on 
the  showily  fluffy  head  now  facing  him,  he 
quite  appreciated  the  effect. 

^^Oh,  of  course  you  think  I'm  stunning,'' 
Lena  pouted.  ^ '  But  the  question  is,  what  will 
other  people  think  ? " 


276  JEWEL  WEED 

^^ Other  people  aren't  the  question  at  all," 
retorted  Dick.  *^Who  cares  what  they  think 
so  long  as  you  and  I  know  that  you  are  the 
very  loveliest  woman  on  this  whole  wide  earth 
— this  good  old  earth." 

When  they  came  home,  Lena  exulted  again 
in  the  luxurious  rooms  that  Dick  had  fitted  up 
for  her  in  fashion  more  modern  than  the 
somber  dignity  of  the  rest  of  the  house. 
Here  was  another  new  sensation — a  house- 
hold without  bickerings.  The  elder  Mrs. 
Percival,  having  accepted  the  situation,  was 
no  niggard  in  her  spirit  of  courtesy,  but  very 
gracious  as  was  her  wont,  and  Lena  was 
astonished  to  find  that  she  and  her  new 
mother-in-law  ran  their  respective  lines  with- 
out collisions.  The  half-invalid  older  woman 
breakfasted  in  her  own  room  and  occupied 
herself  with  quiet  readings  and  sewings  and 
drivings,  but  when  she  did  appear  on  the  fam- 
ily horizon,  it  was  always  as  a  beneficent 
presence. 

Lena  purred  in  the  presence  of  comfort; 
but  when  you  see  a  kitten  serenely  snoozing 
before  the  fire,  it  does  not  do  to  leap  to  the 
conclusion  that  this  kitten  would  not  know 
what  was  expected  of  her  on  the  back  fence 
at  midnight. 

If  storm  and  stress  should  ever  come,  Dick 


THE  HONEYMOON  277 

had  himself  helped  her  to  feel  that  beauty 
would  fill  the  measure,  wherever  it  fell  short ; 
that  however  she  might  sin,  beauty  was  her 
suflScient  apology. 

Mrs.  Quincy,  established  in  a  little  flat 
with  a  middle-aged  submissive  slavey,  was 
as  nearly  reconciled  to  fate  as  her  nature 
would  allow.  Her  rooms  were  pleasantly  fur- 
nished, but  Lena's  mother  was  full  of  the 
genius  of  discord,  and  almost  automatically 
she  so  rearranged  her  surroundings  that  each 
particular  article  made  strife  with  its  neigh- 
bor. Harmony  and  Mrs.  Quincy  could  not 
live  in  the  same  house.  When  Lena  paid  her 
duty  visits  (and  she  was  irritated  at  the  fre- 
quency with  which  Dick's  and  Madame  Perci- 
val's  expectations  seemed  to  exact  them)  she? 
had  not  only  to  listen  in  nauseated  impatience 
to  Mrs.  Quincy 's  minute  questions  and  com- 
ments on  people  and  things,  but  she  had  also 
to  feel  her  rapidly-developing  tastes  offended 
by  her  mother's  domestic  order. 

'^Miss  Elton's  real  kind.  She's  been  here 
twice  since  you  was  here.  And  she  brought 
flowers." 

'* Mother!  And  did  you  have  a  newspaper 
on  top  of  that  pretty  little  table  1 ' ' 

^^Land  sakes!     And  if  I  didn't  I  should 


278  JEWEL  WEED 

have  to  watcli  Sarah  every  minute  to  see 
she  didn't  pnt  something  hot  on  it  or  scratch 
the  mahogany  top.  I  can't  afford  to  have 
everything  I've  got  spoiled.  No  knowin' 
when  I'll  git  anything  more — dependent  as  I 
am  on  other  people." 

'^I'U  bring  you  a  pretty  table-cover  then." 

^^I'd  like  a  red  one.  But  I  didn't  suppose 
you  'd  think  of  gittin '  one. ' ' 

^*0h,  mother,  red  wouldn't  look  weU  in 
this  room." 

^'Now,  I  just  think  a  bit  of  real  bright  red 
would  hearten  it  up.  If  you  don't  git  red, 
you  needn't  git  any,  Lena  Quincy,  for  I  won't 
use  it.  Are  you  goin'  now?  Seems  to  me  you 
got  precious  little  time  for  your  old  mother 
since  you  put  on  all  your  fine  lady  airs." 

And  Lena?  Have  you  ever  watched  a 
cecropia  moth  when  it  crawls  out  of  its  dull 
gray  prison  of  chrysalis  ?  It  is  a  moist,  frail, 
tottering  creature  with  tiny  wings  folded 
against  its  quivering  body,  but  as  the  spring 
sunshine  brings  to  play  its  magic  and  infuses 
its  ^^ subtle  heats,"  there  come  shivers  of 
growth.  Great  waves  seem  to  pulsate  from 
the  body  into  the  wings,  and  with  each  wave 
goes  color  and  strength.  In  quick  throbs 
they  come  at  last  until  they  look  like  a  contin- 


THE  HONEYMOON  279 

uous  current,  and  before  yonr  eyes  is  a  glo- 
rious bird-like  creature,  with  damask  wings 
outspread,  and  flecked  with  peacock  spots, 
hiding  the  slender  body  within.  It  feels  its 
strength,  spreads  and  preens  itself,  and  is 
away  to  the  forest  to  meet  its  fate. 

Such  was  Lena  in  the  first  months  of  her 
marriage.  The  world's  warmth  welcomed 
her,  partly  in  curiosity,  and  partly  because 
she  was  in  truth  Eichard  PercivaPs  wife,  and 
the  protegee  of  Mrs.  Lenox,  who  took  every 
pains  to  shield  her  and  help  her.  The  ways 
of  that  little  sphere  that  calls  itself  society 
she  found  it  not  difficult  to  acquire,  when  to 
beauty  she  added  the  paraphernalia  of  lux- 
ury. A  little  trick  of  holding  oneself,  a  turn 
of  speech,  a  familiarity  with  a  certain  set  of 
people  and  their  doings,  and  the  thing  is  ac- 
complished. Was  there  ever  yet  an  American 
girl,  whose  supreme  characteristic  is  adapta- 
bility, who  could  not  learn  it  in  a  few  months, 
if  she  set  her  mind  to  it? 

As  she  experienced  the  true  pleasure  of 
being  inside,  which  is  the  knowledge  that 
there  are  outsiders  raging  to  make  entrance, 
she  spread  her  wings,  did  Madame  Cecropia, 
and  the  only  wonder  was  that  she  was  ever 
packed  away  in  the  dull  gray  chrysalis.    And 


280  JEWEL  WEED 

now  every  one  forgot  tliat  ngly  thing,  when 
Lena  changed  her  sky  but  not  her  heart. 

Dick  and  she  lived  in  a  whirl;  and  if  he 
would  have  liked,  after  strenuous  days  spent 
in  spreading  political  feelers,  to  have  found 
at  home  quiet  evenings  and  old  slippers,  he 
was  rapidly  learning  that  the  position  of  hus- 
band to  a  young  beauty  is  no  sinecure.  And 
he  admired  and  loved  her  too  much  to  fling 
even  a  rose  leaf  of  opposition  in  her  path. 
The  very  hardship  of  her  past  made  him 
tender  to  every  whim  of  the  present.  Dick's 
chivalry  was  deep-grained,  as  it  is  in  men  who 
have  lived  among  pure  and  simple  women. 
In  everything  that  wore  petticoats  he  saw 
something  of  his  mother,  fragile,  noble,  am- 
bitious for  those  she  loved  and  forgetful  of 
self.  When  Lena  began  to  show  him  things 
that  he  could  not  admire,  he  laid  the  blame 
of  them,  not  to  her,  but  to  the  world  that  had 
played  the  brute  to  her.  And  if  he  tried  to 
change  her  it  was  with  apology  in  his  heart 
for  daring  to  criticize.  But  as  Lena  came  to 
take  for  granted  the  ease  and  comfort  of  her 
new  life,  she  more  and  more  laid  aside  the 
pose  with  which  she  had  at  first  edified  her 
lord,  and  spoke  her  real  mind.  She  had  fully 
acquired  the  manner  and  the  garments  of  a 


THE  HONEYMOON  281 

lady.  She  could  not  see  that  more  was 
needed. 

One  gray  wintry  day,  as  they  walked  home- 
ward together  from  a  midday  musicale,  they 
passed  a  grimy  little  girl  who  whimpered  as 
she  clutched  her  small  person. 

** What's  the  matter,  girlie?"  asked  Dick, 
and  as  he  stopped  his  wife,  too,  halted  per- 
force. 

*^My  pettitoat's  comin'  down,"  sobbed  the 
child. 

' '  Is  that  all  r '  said  Dick.  ' '  I  wonldn  't  cry 
abont  such  a  little  thing.  I'll  soon  fix  it  for 
you."    And  he  stooped. 

^'Dick,"  said  Lena  imperatively,  *' there's 
a  carriage  coming ! ' ' 

^^Let  it  come!"  said  Dick.  ^^ Sorry  I 
haven't  a  safety-pin,  girlie,  but  I  guess  this 
one  will  do  till  you  get  home. ' '  That  impul- 
sive interest  in  all  varieties  of  human  nature 
was  so  natural  to  him  that  he  took  for  granted 
that  it  was  a  part  of  our  common  nature. 

He  looked  up  with  a  smile  to  see  Lena's 
face  crimson  with  wrath  and  shame.  Her  ex- 
pression sobered  him. 

^  *  What 's  the  matter  ? "  he  demanded. 

^^It  was  Mrs.  Lenox  who  drove  by,"  she 
urged.    ^'And  she  looked  so  amused." 


282  JEWEL  WEED 

^^I  don't  wonder.  I'm  amused  myself,'' 
he  replied  gaily. 

'^A  nice  thing  for  a  gentleman  to  be  seen 
doing,"  Lena  went  on,  with  a  voice  growing 
shrill  like  her  mother's.  ^^To  play  nurse- 
maid to  a  dirty  little  street  brat!"  She  had 
said  things  like  this  to  him  before,  but  always 
with  that  little  smile  and  naughty-child  air. 
Now,  for  the  first  time  she  forgot  the  smile, 
and  this  small  omission  made  an  astonishing 
difference  in  the  impression. 

^^I  don't  know  what  else  a  gentleman 
should  do,"  answered  Dick;  ^^or  a  lady, 
either.  Mrs.  Lenox  would  have  done  as  much 
for  any  baby,  her  own  or  another. ' ' 

^^Much  she  would!"  said  Lena  sharply. 
^^I've  been  at  her  house.  She  has  rafts  of 
nurses  to  do  all  the  waiting  on  her  children. 
I  guess  she  doesn't  let  them  trouble  her  any 
more  than  she  can  help.  If  she's  unlucky 
enough  to  have  the  squally  little  things,  she 
keeps  away  from  them." 

Even  as  she  spoke,  Lena  realized  that  her 
acid  voice  was  a  mistake,  but  she  said  to 
herself  that  she  was  tired  of  acting,  and  it  did 
not  make  any  difference  what  Dick  thought 
now.    She  was  his  wife. 

^'Perhaps    you    don't    know    the    whole, 


THE  HONEYMOON    .  283 

Lena,"  Dick  answered.  ^^I  happen  to  have 
seen  Mrs.  Lenox  when  she  was  devoting  her- 
self to  a  sick  baby,  and  Madeline  has  told  me 
of  the  kind  of  personal  care  she  gives." 

^^The  more  fool  she,  when  she  can  get  some 
one  else  to  do  it  for  her,"  said  Lena,  with 
feminine  change  of  front. 

'^Is  that  the  way  yon  feel  abont  children?" 
asked  Dick  soberly. 

^*I  suppose  they  are  necessary  evils,"  said 
Lena  with  a  smart  langh.  ^^Bnt  I'd  rather 
they'd  be  necessary  to  other  women  than  to 
me." 

'^Well,  perhaps  that's  a  natural  feeling, 
when  we're  young  and  like  to  be  irresponsi- 
ble ;  but  I  fancy,  dear,  that  things  look  pretty 
different  as  we  get  along  and  are  willing  to 
pay  the  price  for  our  happinesses — to  pay 
for  love  with  service  and  self-sacrifice.  As 
for  me,  I  pray  that  you  and  I  may  not  some 
day  be  childless  old  folks." 

Lena  glanced  at  him  sidewise  as  they 
walked,  and  his  somber  face  showed  her  that 
her  mistake  went  deeper  than  she  had  sus- 
pected. 

^^I'm  sorry  I  was  cross,"  she  said  with 
pretty  contrition,  but  her  prettiness  and  con- 
trition did  not  have  their  usual  exhilarating 


284  JEWEL  WEED 

effect  on  Dick.  Lena  even  turned  and  laid  her 
hand  softly  on  his  arm.  Still  he  did  not  look 
at  her. 

^  ^  I  wasn  't  hurt  by  your  crossness,  dear, ' '  he 
said  gently. 

Among  those  to  open  hospitable  doors  to 
the  bride  and  groom  was  Mr.  Early.  His 
house  adjoined  theirs,  and  only  a  hedge  sep- 
arated the  two  gardens,  old-fashioned,  with 
comfortable  seats  under  wide  trees  on  the 
Percival  place,  elaborately  Italian  on  Mr. 
Early's  domain,  but  spacious  both,  for  St. 
Etienne  had  the  advantage  of  doing  most  of 
its  growth  after  rapid  transit  was  invented, 
and  had  therefore  never  cribbed  and  cabined 
its  population  into  solid  blocks  of  brick  and 
mortar,  but  had  given  everybody  elbow-room, 
so  that  its  residence  district  looked  much 
like  the  suburbs  of  older  cities. 

So  Dick  and  Lena  went  to  dine  with  Mr. 
Early,  and  the  bride  had  the  thrilling  delight 
of  sitting  between  her  world-famous  host  and 
an  equally  illustrious  scholar,  who  had  his 
head  with  him,  extra  size,  and  was  plainly 
bored  to  death  by  his  own  erudition.  It  was 
a  large  dinner,  and  Lena  was  alert  to  study 
every  one,  both  what  he  did  and  how  he  did  it ; 


THE  HONEYMOON  285 

but  chiefly,  from  her  vantage  point  at  the 
right  hand  of  her  host^  did  she  watch  Miss 
Madeline  Elton,  who  sat  near  the  middle  of 
the  table  on  the  other  side,  where  Lena  conld 
study  her  face  over  a  sea  of  violets.  Lena 
was  puzzled.  Madeline  seemed  less  reposeful 
and  more  charming  than  she  remembered. 
For  an  instant  she  wondered  if  her  own  beau- 
ty, now  tricked  out  by  jewels,  was  not  cheap 
beside  Miss  Elton's  undecorated  loveliness. 
She  noted  that  the  men  around  the  table 
looked  often  in  Madeline's  direction.  Even 
Mr.  Early  occasionally  let  his  attention  wan- 
der from  his  suave  courtesy  toward  herself, 
and  Lena  resented  this.  She  deeply  admired 
Mr.  Early.  His  was  the  big  and  blatant  suc- 
cess which  she  could  easily  comprehend,  and 
she  exulted  at  the  idea  of  sitting  at  the  post  of 
honor  beside  a  man  distinguished  over  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  Once,  even 
her  own  husband,  Richard  Percival,  leaned 
forward  and  gazed  at  Madeline  as  she  spoke 
across  the  table,  and  there  was  a  look  in  his 
face  that  Lena  treasured  in  her  cabinet  of 
unforgiven  things.  She  flushed  with  anger. 
Her  hatred  of  Miss  Elton  was  as  old  as  her 
acquaintance  with  her  husband,  and  its 
growth  had  been  parallel. 


286  JEWEL  WEED 

Then  her  eyes  met  the  glowing  glance  of  a 
dark  face  under  a  turban  of  soft  white  silk, 
and  she  turned  hastily  away. 

^^I  see  you  are  looking  at  my  ceiling,  Mrs. 
Percival/'  said  Mr.  Early.  *'It  is  a  repro- 
duction of  the  beautiful  fan-tracery  in  the 
Henry  VII  chapel  at  Westminster.  Doubtless 
you  recognize  it.  But,  alas,  it  is  impossible 
to  attain  the  spiritual  beauty  of  the  original 
until  age  has  laid  its  sanctifying  hand  on  the 
carving.  This  has  had  but  a  year  of  life  for 
each  century  that  the  chapel  tracery  can 
boast.  And,  of  course,  I  admit  that  the  effect 
must  be  modified  by  the  surroundings.  A 
dining-room  can  never  have  the  atmosphere 
of  a  church,  can  it,  my  dear  Mrs.  Percival? 
Though  I  assure  you,  I  have  tried  to  be  con- 
sistent in  all  the  decorations  and  the  furniture 
of  this  room." 

'^It's  very  beautiful,"  said  Lena.  ^^And 
who  is  the  large  gentleman  with  the  long 
white  mustaches?" 

**  Surely  you  have  met  Mr.  Preston.  He 
is  one  of  our  best  type  of  business  men,  and 
the  candidate  that  the  new  reform  element, 
in  which  your  husband  is  playing  an  honor- 
able part,  is  hoping  to  set  up  for  mayor.  It 
would  be  a  notable  thing  for  this  community 


THE  HONEYMOON  287 

if  we  might  have  a  man  of  his  stamp  repre- 
sent our  municipality. ' ' 

^'I  have  heard  Dick  speak  of  him,"  said 
Lena.  ^^And  is  that  the  wonderful  Hindu  of 
whom  I've  heard?  All  the  ladies  are  crazy 
about  him,  but  I  never  happened  to  see  him 
before. ' ' 

' '  That  is  Eam  Juna.  He  has  been  with  me 
now  for  two  months,  and  is  to  stay  indefin- 
itely. He  is  engaged  on  a  work  that  will,  I 
am  convinced,  add  one  more  to  the  sacred 
books  of  the  world.  We  need  such  men  in  this 
age  of  materialism,  do  we  not?  And  I  feel 
gratefully  the  beneficent  efiFect  of  such  a  pres- 
ence in  my  house. ' ' 

So  Mr.  Early  went  on  with  ponderous  sen- 
tences and  a  sharp  look  in  his  eye. 

But  Lena  hardly  heard  him.  She  was  ab- 
sorbed in  the  soft  lights  and  the  flowers  and 
the  wonderful  china,  most  of  which,  her  host 
told  her,  had  been  made  in  his  own  works 
and  was  unique  in  the  world.  But  strange  as 
were  all  these  things,  her  eyes  kept  coming 
back,  as  if  fascinated,  to  the  man-mountain 
in  the  silky  white  robe.  The  big  ruby  on  his 
forehead  seemed  to  wink  and  flash  at  her,  and 
as  often  as  she  looked  she  met  the  sleepy 
eyes  fixed  on  her  face.    Then  she  was  irresist- 


288  JEWEL  WEED 

ibly  drawn  to  look  again  to  see  if  he  was  still 
watching.  For  once,  she  forgot  her  big  blue 
eyes  and  her  bright  little  fluffs  of  hair  and 
all  the  execution  that  they  were  meant  to  do 
on  the  masculine  heart,  because  there  was 
something  different  in  the  way  this  Oriental 
surveyed  her.  It  was  an  unblinking  and  un- 
emotional study. 

Fortunately  Mr.  Early  was  content  to  talk 
and  let  her  answer  in  brief.  Talking  was  not 
Lena's  strong  point.  Mr.  Early  went  on  with 
his  monologue,  in  platitudes  about  art,  and 
Lena  looked  interested,  or  tried  to,  while  she 
caught  scraps  of  conversation  from  farther 
down  the  table. 

Miss  Elton  was  telling  a  story  of  her  cook- 
ing-class in  a  certain  poor  district.  She  had 
shown  a  flabby  wife,  noted  even  in  that  region 
for  her  lack  of  culinary  skill,  how  to  make  a 
dish  at  once  cheap,  palatable  and  nutritious. 

^^And  I  said,  *Now  Mrs.  Koshek,  if  you'd 
give  that  to  your  husband  some  night  when 
he  comes  home  tired,  don't  you  think  it  would 
be  a  pleasant  surprise?'  But  all  I  could  get 
out  of  her  was,  'I'd  ruther  eat  what  I'd 
ruther;  I'd  ruther  eat  what  I'd  ruther.'  And 
I'm  afraid  Mr.  Koshek  is  still  living  on 
greasy  sausages.'' 


THE  HONEYMOON  289 

*^'That  might  teach  you,  Miss  Elton,"  said 
Mr.  Preston,  '^the  futility  of  trying  to  im- 
prove women  by  reason.    Now  a  man — " 

^^Oh,  pooh,  reason!  reason!"  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Lenox,  turning  upon  him,  ^^I'm  sorry 
for  you  poor  men,  you  mistaken  servants  of 
boasted  reason !  Eeason  is  the  biggest  fallacy 
on  earth.  It  leads  men  by  the  straight  path 
of  logic  to  pure  foolishness." 

^^And  how  is  your  woman's  reason  to  ac- 
count for  that?"  he  asked  tolerantly. 

^*0h,  I  suppose  your  premises  are  never 
true.  Or,  if  they  are,  another  man's  opposite 
premises  are  equally  true.  So  there  you  are. 
Two  contradictions  are  equally  valid,  but  be- 
ing a  reasonable  man  you  can't  see  more  than 
one  of  them. ' ' 

''And  women  can  see  both  sides,  of 
course." 

''Truly.  And  flop  from  one  to  the  other 
with  lightning  rapidity.  We  are  too  com- 
pletely superior  to  reason  to  have  any  respect 
for  or  reliance  on  it.  Do  you  think  I  try  rea- 
son on  my  husband  when  he  is  in  the  wrong  in 
his  arguments  with  me?  Not  at  all.  I  just 
say,  'I'm  afraid  you  are  not  feeling  well, 
dear. '  And  I  put  a  mustard  plaster  on  him. 
It's  extraordinary  how  seldom  he  disagrees 


290  JEWEL  WEED 

nowadays.  Or  when  he's  very  obstinately 
set  on  an  objectionable  course,  it's  a  good 
plan  to  say  sweetly,  'I'll  do  just  as  you  like, 
dear.'  He  invariably  comes  back  with  an 
emphatic,  'No — ^we'U  do  as  you  like.'  " 

''I  relinquish  all  claims  to  be  called  a  rea- 
sonable being,"  said  Mr.  Lenox  with  a  wry 
face. 

''When  we,  the  unmarried,  hear  confes- 
sions of  this  kind,"  said  Madeline,  "it  gives 
us  an  incongruous  feeling  to  remember  how 
happy  you,  the  married,  seem,  after  all. ' ' 

' '  Getting  along  becomes  a  habit, ' '  retorted 
Dick.  "Matrimony  is  like  taking  opium.  It 
fixes  itself  on  you.  I  suppose  when  the  hero 
of  Kipling's  poem  found  out  that  she  was 
only  'a  rag  and  a  bone  and  a  hank  of  hair,' 
he  kept  on  loving  the  rag,  even  while  he  felt 
like  gnawing  the  bone  and  pulling  the  hair. ' ' 

He  knew  he  had  said  an  ugly  thing.  It 
wasn't  like  him.  He  flushed  as  he  saw  Mrs. 
Lenox  glance  sharply  at  him. 

' '  Dick,  Dick,  that  is  heresy, ' '  she  exclaimed 
gaily.  "We  must  pretend  there  aren't  any 
vampires,  and  that  we  do  not  know  what  they 
are  made  of.  If  we  tell  the  naked  truth,  how 
can  we  cry  out  with  conviction  that  the  old 
world  is  an  harmonious  and  beautiful  place? '^ 


THE  HONEYMOON  291 

^^That  isn't  your  real  philosophy,"  he  said. 

^'No,  it  isn't,"  she  said.  *^I  sometimes 
wish  it  were.  If  one  could  have  the  tempera- 
ment to  shut  one's  eyes  and  say,  ^I  don't  see 
it;  therefore  it  isn't  true,'  what  a  very  easy 
thing  life  would  be. ' ' 

^'I  don't  know,"  answered  Dick.  '* Going 
it  blind  with  a  dog  and  a  string  doesn't  gen- 
erally make  it  easier  to  walk." 

' '  That 's  true, ' '  Madeline  put  in.  ^  ^  A  little 
dog  isn't  a  very  good  guide  up  the  hilly  road 
of  righteousness.  As  for  me,  I  prefer  open- 
eyed  obedience  to  blind  obedience. ' ' 

^'I'U  be  bound  you  prefer  obedience  any- 
way," Dick  said  in  an  undertone,  and  he 
looked  at  her  as  though  something  in  her  hurt 
him.    He  turned  abruptly  to  Mr.  Preston. 

^^ Preston,"  he  said,  ^'I  wish  we  could  hold 
a  special  election  and  put  you  into  the  ex- 
ecutive chair  before  your  time.  Every  kind 
of  evil  thing  is  taking  advantage  of  our 
present  lax  administration.  I  believe  the 
crooks  of  other  cities  are  flying  to  us  on  the 
wings  of  the  wind.  One  of  the  plain-clothes 
men  told  me  to-day  that  the  government  de- 
tectives have  traced  a  gang  of  counterfeiters 
to  our  beloved  city,  though  they  have  not 
succeeded   in   spotting  the   rascals'  where- 


292  JEWEL  WEED 

abouts.  It's  rather  humiliating  to  find  St. 
Etienne  picked  out  as  a  good  hiding-place  for 
any  villany  there  is  going.'' 

^^  You  needn't  be  so  sure  that  a  special  elec- 
tion or  any  other  kind  would  carry  us  in," 
laughed  Mr.  Preston.  ^^I'm  not  so  confident 
as  you  seem,  Percival,  that  this  community 
is  overwhelmed  with  the  consciousness  of  its 
rare  opportunity." 

And  so  the  talk  drifted  on,  as  usual,  to  poli- 
tics. 

After  dinner,  in  the  drawing-room,  Lena 
saw  her  husband  in  conversation  with  Eam 
Juna.  The  two  crossed  the  room,  and  Dick 
introduced  the  new  prophet. 

^*I  fear  my  too  constant  inspection  dis- 
turbed you.  Myriad  pardons  for  me, ' '  began 
the  Swami  in  his  mellifluous  voice.  ^'It  is  the 
tribute.  When  I  feel  deep  interest  I  am  prone 
to  forget  all  but  my  study.  See,  I  am  the 
last  of  a  family  once  powerful  and  wealthy; 
yet  I  hardly  regret  that  heritage  that  I  have 
lost.  I  look  at  you.  You  are  the  type  of 
another  fate.  You  are  a  bride,  young,  lovely, 
with  the  vigor  and  glory  of  this  new  race  of 
America.  I  envy  not,  but  I  wonder.  So  I 
look  too  long." 

Lena  glanced  discomfited  at  the  retreating 


THE  HONEYMOON  293 

back  of  her  husband  and  said,  ^'I'm  sure  I 
didn't  notice  anything  peculiar. " 

A  curious  gleam  came  into  Eam  Juna's 
sleepy  eyes. 

^'Ah,  then  you,  like  me,  love  to  examine 
the  soul,  your  own  or  another's.  You  have 
fellow  feeling.  So  you  forgive.  May  I  sit 
here  beside  you?" 

Lena  drew  aside  her  petticoats  and  the 
Swami  shared  her  little  sofa. 

^'You  see  that  while  you  make  study  of 
others,  I  make  study  of  you.  I  should  wish 
to  be  your  friend.  I  should  in  fact  fear  to 
have  you  count  me  an  enemy." 

Lena  blinked  at  him  in  an  uncomprehend- 
ing way  with  her  big  eyes,  and  he  smiled  in- 
nocently in  return. 

'  ^  A  woman  who  is  an  enemy  is  a  danger. 
But  men  are  tough-skinned  and  hard  to  kill. 
Is  it  not  so?  And  even  a  woman  enemy  is 
often  powerless  to  hurt.  But  when  a  woman 
hates  a  woman,  then  the  case  is  different.  A 
woman  is  easy  to  hurt.  A  little  blow,  even 
a  breath  on  her  reputation  or  to  her  pride, 
and  the  woman  is  wounded  beyond  repair.  Is 
it  not  so?" 

Still  Lena  stared  blankly  at  him,  but  as 
he  did  not  return  her  gaze,  her  eyes  followed 


294         ;        JEWEL  WEED 

his  to  the  other  side  of  the  room  where  Miss 
Elton  bent  over  a  table,  with  Mr.  Early  on 
one  side  of  her  and  Dick  Pereival  on  the 
other. 

^  ^  Oh ! "  she  said  with  a  little  gasp.  ^  ^  Oh ! '  ^ 
And  Earn  Juna  looked  back  at  her  and  smiled 
again. 

^*  Therefore  I  was  right  to  desire  your 
friendship  and  not  your  enmity,  was  I  not?" 
said  he.  ^ '  I,  too,  am  a  good  friend  and  a  bad 
enemy.  See,  Mr.  Early  shows  some  wonder- 
ful Japanese  paintings.  Shall  we  join  them 
in  the  inspection?" 

And  Lena  went  with  wonder,  and  in  her 
mind  there  began  to  form  vague  clumsy  pur- 
poses which  the  Hindu  would  have  despised 
if  he  had  read  them. 

Nor  did  her  conversation  with  her  husband 
in  the  home-returning  carriage  tend  to  soften 
Lena's  heart. 

.  Dick  was  in  an  uncomfortable  and  irritable 
state  of  mind  which  was  strange  and  discon- 
certing even  to  himself.  Instead  of  giving 
her  the  big  hug  that  was  his  habit  when  they 
found  themselves  safely  alone,  he  said 
sharply, 

''Lena,  you  use  too  much  perfume  about 
you.    I  wish  you  wouldn't." 


THE  HONEYMOON  295 

^  *  Do  I  ? "  asked  Lena  ominously.  ' '  Is  there 
anything  else  ? " 

*^Well,  since  you  give  me  the  chance  to 
say  it,  dear/'  Dick's  tone  was  now  apologetic, 
^^I'd  a  little  rather  you  wore  your  dinner 
gowns  higher.  I  know  many  women  do  wear 
things  like  yours  to-night,  and  your  dress- 
maker has  dictated  to  you;  but  I  think  the 
extremes  are  not  well-bred.  Just  look  at  the 
best  women.  Look  at  Mrs.  Lenox  and  Mad- 
eline— " 

But  here  Lena  gave  so  sharp  a  little  cry 
of  anger  that  Dick  stopped  dismayed. 

^^How  dare  you?"  she  screamed.  ^^How 
dare  you  hold  up  a  girl  you  know  I  hate  as 
an  example  to  me?  If  she's  so  perfect,  why 
didn't  you  marry  her?  I'm  sure  she  wanted 
you  badly  enough." 

Dick  shrank  back  a  little.  To  him  love — 
the  desire  for  marriage — ^was  hardly  a  thing 
to  be  touched  by  outside  hands.  He  wished 
Lena  would  not  tear  down  the  veils  of  reti- 
cence so  ruthlessly. 

*^Lena,  she  did  not  want  me  at  all.  Be 
reasonable. ' ' 

^^Well,  then,  you  took  me  just  because  you 
couldn't  get  her,  did  you?  Everything  she 
does  and  wears  is  perfection.    And  there's 


296  JEWEL  WEED 

nothing  about  me  that^s  right!"  Lena  had 
now  come  to  the  point  of  angry  tears. 

^^ There's  one  thing  about  yon  that's  right; 
and  that 's  my  arms,  sweetheart. ' '  Dick  spoke 
sturdily  in  spite  of  trepidation,  for  this  was 
a  new  experience  to  him.  ^'You  know  I  love 
you,  Lena.  I  did  not  mean  to  hurt  you.  I 
thought  only  that  you  were  a  sweet  little  in- 
experienced woman,  and  that  you  would  wel- 
come any  hints  from  your  husband's  worldly 
wisdom.  Come,  don't  turn  into  an  Undine, 
dear,  and  get  the  carriage  all  wet," — for  his 
wife  was  now  sobbing  on  his  shoulder. 

^'You've  told  me  lots  of  times  that  I  was 
perfect,"  she  cried.  ^^I  don't  see  why  you 
want  to  change  me  now.  You're  so  incon- 
sistent, Dick." 

^'I  wish  that  I  could  make  up  for  my  bru- 
tality," said  Dick.  '^How  can  I,  Lena?  I 
feel  like  the  fellow  that  threw  a  catsup  bottle 
at  his  wife's  head  at  the  breakfast-table  and 
then  felt  so  badly  when  he  saw  the  nasty  stuff 
trickling  down  her  pretty  curls  that  he 
brought  her  home  a  pair  of  diamond  ear- 
rings for  dinner." 

''What  a  horrid  vulgar  story!"  exclaimed 
Lena. 

''Isn't  it?"  Dick  rejoined.     "But  vulgar 


THE  HONEYMOON  297 

things  are  frequently  true,  as  we  learn  with 
sorrow.  Lena,  can't  we  believe  that  our  mar- 
riage certificate  had  an  affection  insurance 
policy  given  with  it?  Don't  let  us  indulge 
in  little  quarrels.  As  you  say,  they  are  vul- 
gar. I  want  love  to  be  not  only  a  rich  solid 
pudding  full  of  plums,  but  I  want  it  to  have 
a  meringue  on  top. ' ' 

As  he  hoped,  this  made  Lena  laugh,  and  she 
pulled  out  her  over-scented  handkerchief  to 
wipe  her  eyes.  Dick  shut  his  lips  tightly, 
grown  too  wise  to  speak. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


LENA^S   FRIENDS 


Lena  sat  one  morning  behind  the  coffee- 
urn  so  self-absorbed  and  smiling  that  Dick 
wondered. 

^^Mrs.  Percival,"  he  remonstrated,  ^^yon 
have  a  husband  at  this  end  of  the  table.  Have 
you  forgotten  it?  What  are  you  thinking 
about?" 

^^Dick,  I  believe  I  have  found  a  friend — 
a  real  friend,"  Lena  jerked  out. 

*^  A  good  many  of  them,  I  should  say.  Who 
is  this  fortunate  person?" 

*^Mrs.  Appleton." 

' '  Mrs.  Appleton ! ' '  Dick  gulped  at  his  cof- 
fee and  stared  at  his  wife  in  some  perplexity. 
^^ Isn't  she  a — well,  for  one  thing,  a  good  deal 
older  than  you?" 

^'She'll  be  all  the  better  gudde,"  Lena 
retorted  with  one  of  her  demure  pouts.  ' '  You 
know  she  invited  me  to  join  the  class  she  has 
gotten  up  for  Swami  Ram  Juna.   You  needn't 

298 


LENA'S  FEIENDS  299 

grin  in  that  horrid  way,  Dick.    I  shall  be  so 
wise  very  soon  that  you'll  be  afraid  of  me." 

^*  Heaven  forbid,  you  dear  little  inspirer 
of  awe." 

^^At  any  rate,  she's  taken  the  greatest 
fancy  to  me,  and  I  to  her.  She  came  here 
yesterday  in  the  pouring  rain,  and  we  spent 
a  long  afternoon  talking  together.  We  feel 
the  same  way  about  everything.  She  says 
that  with  my  beauty,  I  ought  to  make  a  great 
hit,  and  she's  going  to  give  a  big  reception 
in  my  honor.  Of  course,  with  her  experience, 
she  can  be  a  great  help  to  me. ' ' 

^^I  see."  Dick  forgot  his  breakfast  en- 
tirely, and  meditated. 

^^What  is  Mr.  Appleton  like?"  Lena  per- 
sisted. 

^^He  has  enough  money  to  make  me  pale 
my  ineffectual  fires,  and  he  adds  to  that  the 
personality  of  the  great  American  desert. 
But  I  suspect  his  wife  is  so  wholly  satisfied 
with  the  golden  glow  that  the  latter  fact 
has  never  penetrated  to  her  consciousness. 
I  think  Mrs.  Appleton  has  not  yet  recovered 
from  her  astonishment  at  finding  herself  wed- 
ded to  profusion.  It  appears  to  delight  her 
afresh  from  day  to  day." 

You  can  be  very  nasty  about  people  when 


i6 


300  JEWEL  WEED 

you  choose."  Lena's  tone  was  nnmistakably 
vexed. 

^^  Frankly,  Lena,  I  do  not  like  Mrs.  Apple- 
ton  or  her  attitude  toward  life.  She  is  the 
kind  of  woman  who  refuses  to  take  the  sim- 
plest thing  simply,  the  kind  that  thinks  sub- 
scription dances  and  clubs  and  private  cars 
and  family  tombs  were  invented  chiefly  to 
show  our  exclusiveness. " 

^^Well,  what  are  they  for?" 

Dick  laughed.  ^^Most  of  them  to  get  all 
the  fun  there  is  in  things,  I  should  say ;  and 
the  tombs,  to  show  that  love  holds  even  after 
death." 

'^I  like  her,  anyway,"  said  Lena.  ^'I  like 
her  better  than  the  stuck-up  kind  of  women. ' ' 
The  words  sound  bald.  Lena's  lips  made 
them  seem  humorous.  It  was  so  easy  to  avoid 
disapprobation  just  by  that  little  smile  and 
whimsical  twist  of  the  mouth. 

*^And  whom  do  you  mean  by  that?" 

^^  You  know  whom  I  mean,"  Lena  answered 
defiantly.  ^^And  I  consider  Mrs.  Appleton  a 
great  deal  more  of  a  society  woman  than  Mrs. 
Lenox.  At  any  rate  she  goes  a  great  deal 
more.  And  she  does  not  neglect  her  church 
duties  or  her  charities,  either.  She  has  told 
me  things  that  she  is  doing." 


LENA'S  FRIENDS  301 

*'I  should  say  she  does  not  neglect  them," 
ejaculated  Dick.  ^^She  has  the  art  so  to 
regild  them  that  even  philanthropy  and  re- 
ligion become  mere  appendages  to  society. 
Does  Mrs.  Lenox  belong  to  Eam  Jnna's  class, 
Lena?" 

^^No.  Mrs.  Appleton  asked  her,  but  she 
wrote  that  though  she  was  interested  in  ori- 
ental thought,  she,  personallj^,  found  it  more 
satisfactory  to  get  it  by  reading.  Now 
wasn't  that  snobby,  Dick?" 

^'Is  it  snobbish  to  choose  what  really  suits 
you,  instead  of  following  a  craze  like  a  sheep 
woman?" 

But  Lena  shut  her  lips  tightly.  If  she  had 
not  will,  she  had  obstinacy.  She  could  be 
resolute  in  behalf  of  her  realities,  luxury, 
beauty  and  self.  From  the  moment  when 
Mrs.  Appleton  first  dawned  on  her  horizon, 
she  had  recognized  her  ideal.  Here  was  a 
woman  who  was  at  once  showy,  fashionable 
and  virtuous.  The  things  that  Mrs.  Lenox 
took  for  granted  or  ignored  were  to  her  mat- 
ters of  absorbing  importance.  She  magnified 
the  office  of  every  detail  of  social  conduct  and 
every  minutia  of  society's  ^^ functions".  It 
was  worth  while  to  spend  a  week  of  soul- 
fatiguing  labor  in  order  that  a  tea  should  be 


302  JEWEL  WEED 

just  right;  and  her  preparations  were  not 
made  in  silence,  but  with  an  amount  of  dis- 
cussion and  red-tape  that  filled  every  crevice 
of  life.  She  had  learned  the  art  of  so  cram- 
ming the  days  with  trifles  that  there  was  no 
room  for  the  big  things  and  she  could  con- 
veniently forget  them. 

Mrs.  Appleton  seemed  to  recognize  in 
Lena  the  same  curious  mingling  of  deep-down 
barbaric  egotism  and  love  of  display,  with 
the  longing  to  be  civilizedly  correct.  The  two 
were  drawn  together. 

^*I  like  her,"  said  Lena  positively. 

*'I'm  sorry,"  Dick  said  gently.  ^^I  can't 
say  that  I  do,  and  I  should  be  glad  if  you 
could  find  your  friends  among  those  I  love 
and  respect." 

'^You  needn't  try  to  dictate  my  friend- 
ships," said  Lena  sharply. 

'^I  did  not  think  of  dictating,  sweetheart. 
But  when  we  love  each  other,  we  naturallj^ 
long  for  sympathy  in  all  things."  Dick  was 
making  a  brave  effort. 

But  there  was  little  use  in  making  this 
appeal  to  Lena,  to  whom  love  was  but  a 
beneficent  masculine  idiosyncrasy.  Dick 
glanced  at  her  and  at  his  watch. 

^^I  must  be  off,"  he  said.    '^I  have  an  en- 


LENA'S  FEIENDS  303 

gagement  to  meet  Preston  and  plan  out  our 
campaign. ' ' 

^^I'm  going  to  run  for  alderman  of  this 
ward,"  Dick  laughed  as  Lena  flushed.  ^^ Don't 
you  approve  ? ' ' 

^^How  can  you  be  interested  in  running 
for  alderman?"  she  asked.  ^^It  is  such  a 
mean  little  ambition.  I  wish  you  would  try 
for  something  big.  It  would  be  grand  to  have 
you  a  senator,  so  that  we  could  go  to  Wash- 
ington. I  should  love  to  be  in  all  the  gaieties 
and  meet  all  the  distinguished  people." 

^^Why,  sweetheart,  you  don't  suppose  I 
care  for  the  great  name  of  city  father,  do 
you  ? ' '  Dick  answered  laughing.  ' '  That 's  only 
the  end  of  a  lever.  I  do  care  immensely  to 
be  one  of  those  who  will  clean  up  this  city 
and  keep  it  clean.  Perhaps,  if  we  do  these 
near-by  things,  the  big  ones  will  come,  by  and 
by." 

^^A  sort  of  public  housemaid,"  said  Lena 
scornfully. 

^^ Exactly!"    Dick  laughed  and  nodded. 

But  Lena  shrugged  her  shoulders  and 
pouted  as  the  door  shut  and  she  idly  watched 
her  husband's  final  hand-wave. 

He  walked  down  town  and  the  fresh  north- 


304  JEWEL  WEED 

ern  air  set  his  pulses  quickening.  He  noted 
how  few  gray  heads  there  were,  how  full 
everything  seemed  of  the  vitality  of  youth. 
On  the  piazzas  were  groups  of  happy  well- 
kept  children,  bundled  up  for  winter  play  and 
bubbling  over  with  exuberance.  To  any 
passer-by  they  told  that  these  were  the  homes 
of  young  married  people.  Everywhere  life 
looked  sweet  and  normal  and  vigorous.  And 
he  knew  that  for  miles  in,  every  direction  there 
were  more  such  homes  of  more  such  people. 
But  when  he  reached  the  part  of  town 
whither  his  steps  were  bent,  all  this  was  re- 
versed. Here  was  dirt,  if  not  of  body,  then 
of  spirit.  Here  were  a  thousand  evil  influ- 
ences at  work.  Here  was  public  plundering 
for  private  greed;  here  were  wire-pullings 
and  bargainings  and  selfishness  reigning  su- 
preme. And  these  forces  were  the  nominal 
rulers  of  a  city,  the  greater  part  of  whose 
life  was  good. 

However,  he  was  getting  the  ropes  in  his 
hands.  These  things  were  no  longer  vague 
generalities  floating  in  his  mind,  as  rosy 
clouds  might  be  backed  by  thunder-heads  on 
the  horizon.  They  were  growing  definite. 
He  began  to  know  who  were  the  evil-workers 
and  how  they  did  it.    He  had  the  art  of  mak- 


LENA'S  FRIENDS  305 

ing  friends,  and  he  made  friends  among  pub- 
licans and  sinners  as  well  as — well,  there 
weren't  any  saints  in  St.  Etienne  to  make 
friends  with.  At  any  rate  some  of  the  pow- 
ers that  were  began  to  say  that  Dick  Percival 
knew  entirely  too  much.  And  some  of  the 
powers  that  ought  to  be,  but  still  slept,  name- 
ly the  good  citizens  of  St.  Etienne,  found 
their  slumbers  disturbed  by  his  straight  and 
convincing  words. 

But  to-day  all  his  labors  seemed  not  worth 
while.  There  was  a  sour  taste  in  his  mouth. 
To  do  the  little  thing  with  a  big  heart  was 
after  all  nothing  but  a  sham.  His  ideals,  he 
thought,  had  simmered  down  to  petty  things. 
He  was  spending  his  time  in  nosing  out  small 
evil-smelling  scandals  and  in  running  for  a 
mean  inferior  office.  He  felt  nauseated  with 
himself.  Worse,  he  felt  a  horrible  new  doubt 
of  his  wife.  Mrs.  Appleton  had  been  to  him 
the  type  of  woman  he  disliked,  worldly,  shal- 
low, busy  with  the  sticks  and  straws ;  yet  now 
there  would  creep  in  a  suspicion  that  some 
of  the  things  he  had  forgiven  to  Lena 's  beauty 
and  lack  of  sophistication  were  close  of  kin  to 
the  older  woman's  more  blatant  materialism. 
Materialism  was  the  thing  Dick  had  not 
learned  to  associate  with  his  own  women. 


306  JEWEL  WEED 

This  radiant  morning,  then,  he  felt  himself 
under  the  dominion  of  the  grand  inquisitors 
who  invented  the  torture  of  little  things.  Life 
consisted  in  having  slow  drops  of  water  fall 
on  his  head,  one  at  a  time.  Family  life  was 
slimed  with  small  bickerings,  children  were  a 
nuisance,  society  a  bore,  and  the  most  beau- 
tiful woman  in  the  world  defiant  and  unin- 
spiring at  the  breakfast-table. 

It  does  not  take  Cleopatra  long  to  wither 
the  ideals. 

Dick  began  to  analyze  his  wife,  which  is  a 
dangerous  thing  for  a  man  to  do.  If  a  hus- 
band wishes  to  preserve  the  lover's  state  of 
mind,  he  must  continue  to  think  of  his  wife  as 
a  single  indivisible  creature,  not  a  compound 
of  faults,  virtues  and  charms,  lest  in  some 
unlucky  moment  he  find  that  the  faults  are 
the  biggest  ingredient. 

Dick,  however,  was  thinking,  and  the  sub- 
stance of  his  thoughts  was  that  this  little 
girl,  who  bore  his  name,  had  her  seamy  side. 
Up  to  now,  if  he  noticed  a  defect,  he  instantly 
and  chivalrously  put  it  out  of  his  mind,  but 
now  certain  doubts  had  knocked  so  long  that 
by  sheer  persistence  they  forced  an  entrance. 
Lena,  who  began  by  being  a  sweet,  innocent, 
much-enduring  little  thing,  now  that  he  knew 


LENA'S  FRIENDS  307 

her  more  and  more  intimately,  was  less  and 
less  the  creature  he  imagined.  To  the  world 
in  general  she  was  still  the  big-eyed  ingenue, 
learning  to  take  her  place  in  society.  To  him 
alone,  it  seemed,  to  him  whose  love  and  rev- 
erence she  ought  to  have  desired,  she  was  be- 
coming indifferent  as  to  the  impression  she 
made.  Was  the  other  side  of  her  a  posef 
Dick  found  himself  walking  very  fast,  and  he 
slackened  his  pace  to  a  respectable  gait.  If 
Lena  the  lovable  was  a  pose,  then  the  inspira- 
tion and  ideals  and  joy  of  his  life  were  frauds. 
That  thought  was  too  appalling.  He  delib- 
erately stopped  thinking  about  it  and  turned 
his  thoughts  to  frauds  in  city  politics,  which 
were  easier  to  endure. 

Lena,  on  the  other  hand,  sitting  idly  by  the 
window,  indulged  in  a  little  reflection  on  her 
own  part.  She  was  revolving  with  some  bit- 
terness her  disappointment  and  disillusion- 
ment. She  remembered  what  a  glorious 
gilded  creature  Dick  had  appeared  to  her  at 
one  time.  Now  he  was  sunk  to  be  a  very  or- 
dinary young  man,  with  curious  and  stupid 
idiosyncrasies,  and  not  nearly  so  rich  and  im- 
portant as  many  of  the  people  she  came  in 
contact  with.  Might  she  have  done  better  if 
she  had  waited  ?    She  too  stopped  regretting 


308  JEWEL  WEED 

and  turned  her  attention  to  a  novel.  She  was 
just  beginning  to  discover  the  charms  of 
*'Gyp.''  She  looked  np  to  see  Mr.  Early 
come  np  the  pathway,  and  a  moment  later 
he  stood  beside  her. 

'^Mrs.  Percival,"  he  said,  ^'I  have  brought 
you  this  little  vase,  the  first  of  its  kind  that 
my  artists  have  produced.  I  thought  it  so 
really  beautiful  that  I  could  not  resist  laying 
one  before  you  as  a  kind  of  tribute. ' ' 

*^0h,  it  is  lovely.  And  am  I  really  the  only 
person  in  the  world  who  has  one  ? " 

^^You  and  Miss  Elton."  A  pang  of  small 
jealousy  shot  ^rough  Lena's  heart.  It  was 
always  and  everywhere  Miss  Elton.  ^^I  sent 
her  another,  but  of  slightly  different  shape. 
I  am,  as  you  know,  a  worshiper  of  beauty, 
but  all  these  creations  of  man's  hands  are 
but  parodies,  are  they  not,  Mrs.  Percival,  on 
absolute  beauty?  They  are  like  ourselves, 
the  creatures  of  a  day.  Nature  herself,  in 
sea  and  air  and  woodland,  produces  exquisite 
loveliness,  and  yet  even  her  achievements  are 
dwarfed  when  one  stands  face  to  face  with 
one  of  creation's  masterpieces — a  woman." 

And  Mr.  Early  made  a  ponderous  bow  as 
he  presented  his  work  of  art.  Lena  was  so 
impressed  by  this  compliment  that  she  wrote 


LENA'S  FEIENDS  309 

it  out  while  it  was  fresh  in  her  memory,  and 
when  Dick  came  home,  she  read  it  to  him. 
He  gave  a  great  bellowing  langh  that  grated 
harshly  on  Lena's  nerves;  and  then  at  sight 
of  her  reproachful  eyes,  he  drew  himself  to- 
gether and  gave  her  a  friendly  pat  on  the 
shoulder,  affectionate,  to  be  sure,  but  quite 
different  from  Mr.  Early's  chivalrous  man- 
ner, and  said : 

^^  Thinks  you  better  than  his  old  straight- 
legged  tables,  does  he?  Well,  I  should  say 
so !  Serves  him  right  for  being  an  old  bach- 
elor, and  having  nothing  but  furniture  and 
Eam  Juna  to  illuminate  existence.  I  should 
expect  that  combination  to  drive  a  man  either 
to  drink  or  to  blank  verse." 

^^I  don't  think  it  is  nice  of  you  to  swear, 
Dick,"  Lena  answered  severely,  but  on  the 
verge  of  tears. 

^^ Swear,  sweetheart?  Why,  what  do  you 
mean?" 

^^Well,  it's  almost  the  same  thing  to  talk 
about  ^ blank'  verse."  Dick  laughed  again 
and  went  directly  to  the  library  without  even 
noticing  the  extremely  lovely  new  dress  which 
his  wife  had  put  on  for  his  edification. 

Dick's  limitations  were  becoming  manifest 
to  young  Mrs.  Percival.    He  might  be  a  gen- 


310  JEWEL  WEED 

tleman,  but  she  feared  that  he  would  never 
be  more.  There  was  nothing  imposing  about 
him.  He  had  lifted  her  out  of  sordid  want, 
but  he  would  not  raise  her  to  the  pinnacle  of 
greatness.  The  bland  flat  face  of  Mr.  Early 
and  his  commanding  slowness  of  movement 
impressed  her  imagination  much  as  a  great 
stone  image  might  its  votary.  Here  was  in- 
deed the  truly  illustrious.  She  devoured 
every  floating  newspaper  paragraph  that  con- 
cerned Sebastian;  for  she  was  still  under 
the  dominion  of  the  idea  that  greatness  in 
the  dailies  constituted  greatness  indeed.  She 
would  have  been  proud  to  touch  the  hem  of 
his  frock-coat.  How  much  greater  her  elation 
when,  on  public  occasions,  he  singled  her 
out  and  stalked  across  the  room  to  utter  in 
loud  tones,  intended  for  the  ears  of  half  a 
hundred,  some  well-rounded  compliment.  A 
conquest  of  Mr.  Early  would  have  been,  for 
Lena,  the  consummation  of  achievement;  but 
she  could  not  help  seeing  that  his  eyes  turned 
more  frequently  upon  Miss  Elton  than  upon 
Mrs.  Percival — upon  Miss  Elton,  of  whom 
she  felt  constant  jealousy  and  abnormal  curi- 
osity. 

Jealousy  rose  to  its  height  when,  on  a  cer- 
tain afternoon,  from  her  favorite  post  beside 


LENA'S  FRIENDS  311 

a  window,  Lena  watched  a  carriage  drive  up 
to  Mr.  Early's  door,  and  Miss  Elton  dismount 
and  run  up  the  steps.  Mrs.  Percival  leaned 
forward  to  make  sure  of  her  eyes,  and  then 
she  sat  and  eyed  the  hole  where  the  mouse 
had  disappeared. 

Of  course  she  could  not  know  what  was  go- 
ing on  inside.  When  Madeline  received  a 
note  from  Mr.  Early,  asking  her  to  come  and 
see  some  very  wonderful  tapestries  that  he 
had  just  hung,  it  seemed  the  most  natural 
thing  in  the  world.  Sebastian's  house  was 
always  more  like  a  museum  than  bachelor's 
quarters.  He  was  continually  turning  it  in- 
side out  for  public  inspection,  so  Madeline 
went  in  all  innocence,  expecting  to  find  a 
dozen  or  so  of  her  friends  sharing  the  private 
view.  She  was  embarrassed,  but  hardly  seri- 
ously, as  Mr.  Early  came  forward  to  welcome 
her. 

''Am  I  all  alone?"  she  said  with  a  little 
laugh. 

' 'Apparently  you  are.  But  I  dare  say  some 
others  will  drop  in  on  us  in  a  moment,"  Mr. 
Early  made  answer.  "Meanwhile  I  am  fa- 
vored, for  your  opinion  is  what  I  particularly 
want.  These  queer  old  tapestries  have  been 
sent  to  me  from  France,  but  whether  I  keep 


312  JEWEL  WEED 

them  or  not  depends  on  whether  they  seem 
the  right  thing  in  the  right  place.  Will  you 
come  this  way?" 

The  big  hall  had  a  singularly  impersonal 
aspect.  Madeline  had  never  before  seen  it 
except  when  thronged  with  people,  and  now 
that  they  two  stood  alone  in  its  wide  empty 
space,  she  was  struck  with  a  certain  desola- 
tion in  it. 

^^Well?"  inquired  Mr.  Early. 

**I  can't  tell  at  once,"  said  Madeline  slowly. 
'^Beauty  is  a  thing  that  takes  time  to  unfold 
itself  upon  one,  isn't  it?  But  I  think  they 
are  beautiful.  They  are  certainly  strange  and 
solemn,  and  they  intensify  the  dignity  of  this 
big  room;  but  they  make  it  seem  less  home- 
like than  ever.  They  seem  to  me  things 
to  look  at  rather  than  to  live  with.  I  suppose 
their  appropriateness  depends  a  little  on  what 
you  want  to  make  of  this  place.  And  you 
do  want  it  only  for  a  public  room,  do  you  not, 
Mr.  Early?" 

^*I  am  afraid  that  is  all  I  am  capable  of," 
said  Sebastian,  looking  pensively  at  her. 
^^You  see  the  home  feeling  is  beyond  my 
achievement.  It  needs  the  feminine  touch  to 
create  that  ideal  atmosphere.  That,  Miss 
Madeline,  is  above  art." 


LENA'S  FRIENDS  313 

'^It  is  so  common,  are  you  sure  it  is  not 
below  art  ? ' '  Madeline  smiled. 

'*I  am  sure,"  responded  Mr.  Early  with 
conviction.  ^^  It  is  a  subject  on  which  I  have 
thought  much  since  you  came  home  last  year. 
Never  until  then  did  I  wholly  realize  the  lack 
in  my  home  and  in  my  life.  If  now,  in  all 
humbleness,  I  am  consulting  your  taste,  it  is 
because  I  have  sometimes  dared  to  hope  that 
you,  my  dear  lady,  would  one  day  give  that 
final  grace  to  this  which  would  make  it  indeed 
a  home,  instead  of  the  mere  abiding  place  that 
it  is  now. ' ' 

Madeline  turned  upon  him  sharply. 

^'Mr.  Early,"  she  said,  ''it  isn't  wholly 
courteous  in  you  to  take  advantage  of  my 
being  alone  with  you  in  your  own  domain  to 
speak  to  me  in  this  way. ' ' 

''I  beg  your  pardon,"  Sebastian  answered. 
''It  was  a  wholly  unpremeditated  expression 
of  what  has  long  been  an  ardent  desire.  I 
did  not  mean  to  speak,  but  your  own  words 
seemed  to  break  down  the  barriers  of  my 
passion.  I  could  wish  that  you  would  permit 
me  to  put  it  in  the  form  which  my  heart 
prompts;  but  perhaps  you  are  right.  Your 
fine  sense  of  the  proprieties  must  be  my  rule 
of  conduct.     I  shall  only  trust  that  I  may 


314  JEWEL  "WEED 

soon  find  a  time  to  speak  when  I  shall  not 
offend  your  delicacy,  and  when,  I  pray,  I 
may  not  offend  yonr  heart." 

'^Neither  now  nor  at  any  other  time  should 
I  advise  yon  to  go  any  further,"  said  Made- 
line laughingly,  for  it  was  hard  to  take  the 
bombast  of  Mr.  Early  very  seriously.  He 
made  her  think  now  of  a  sort  of  pouter 
pigeon.  And  Sebastian  remained  only  part- 
ly satisfied  as  to  the  effect  which  he  wished 
to  produce.  He  wanted  to  give  her  something 
to  think  about,  and  so  make  way  for  the  more 
impassioned  wooing  that  he  was  resolved 
should  follow.  He  was  convinced  that  to 
stand  alone  with  him  in  the  midst  of  his  splen- 
dors would  make  a  strong  impression  on  the 
mind  of  any  sensible  girl.  The  great  hall  was 
certainly  a  place  to  capture  the  imagination 
— not  only  from  its  stately  proportions  and 
the  mellow  coloring  that  melted  into  shadow 
in  the  far-off  roof,  but  from  the  multitude  of 
smaller  details,  the  intricate  carvings,  gath- 
ered abroad  or  made  under  Mr.  Early's  own 
eye,  the  few  priceless  paintings,  the  great  jars 
whose  exquisite  decorations  blended  their 
richer  tones  with  the  deeper  shades  around. 
In  a  wide  alcove  was  gathered  a  collection  of 
portraits  of  distinguished  men  and  women, 


Lena  noted  Mr.  Early's  obsequious  courtesies       P^ig^   Jij 


LENA'S  FEIENDS  315 

statesmen,  artists  and  literati  of  this  country 
and  of  Europe,  and  each  picture  was  accom- 
panied by  an  autograph  letter  to  the  well- 
beloved  Sebastian  Early.  It  could  be  no 
small  thing  to  contemplate  the  possession  of 
this  house  of  notabilities  and  of  the  man  who 
had  built  it  up  around  himself.  This,  Mr. 
Early  meant,  should  be  the  artistic  opening 
of  his  campaign.  And  Miss  Elton  had 
laughed. 

There  was  silence  for  a  long  minute,  and 
Madeline,  glancing  nervously  at  her  host,  saw 
that  his  face  was  grave  and  that  his  eyes  were 
fixed  upon  her  in  a  melancholy  way.  She 
began  to  feel  uncomfortable. 

' '  I  think  I  must  be  going  now, ' '  she  said. 

*'You  have  not  told  me  whether  I  am  to 
keep  the  tapestries,"  Mr.  Early  humbly  ob- 
jected. 

^^Oh,  I  couldn't  possibly  decide  for  you. 
But  they  seem  to  harmonize  beautifully  with 
this  room." 

*^I  am  grateful  for  your  decision.  Permit 
me  to  see  you  to  your  carriage.  Miss  Made- 
line." 

Lena,  watching  hungrily  from  her  vantage 
post,  noted  Mr.  Early's  obsequious  courtesies, 
Madeline's  flushed  face,  and  drew  angry  con- 


316  JEWEL  WEED 

elusions.  Nevertheless,  she  leaned  forward 
and  bowed  graciously  as  Madeline  drove  past. 

^^If  she  should  marry  Mr.  Early,  I 
shouldn't  feel  as  if  I  had  triumphed  a  bit  in 
getting  Dick  away  from  her,"  she  said  to 
herself,  with  a  bald  comprehension  of  her 
true  state  of  mind.  For  Lena  made  up  for 
her  pose  toward  others  by  a  certain  unimag- 
inative frankness  in  her  self-communings. 

Then,  catching  a  glimpse  of  another  figure, 
she  exclaimed,  ^^Oh,  there  comes  Miss  Hunt- 
ress!" and  immediately  settled  herself  with 
an  air  of  elegant  leisure  to  receive  her  former 
superior.  Miss  Huntress  was  a  source  of 
continual  satisfaction  to  Lena,  the  oppo- 
site of  a  skeleton  at  the  feast,  a  continual 
reminder  of  present  prosperity  as  compared 
with  past  nonentity.  To  meet  her  gave  Mad- 
ame Cecropia  the  same  thrill  of  satisfaction 
that  it  still  did  to  draw  her  dainty  skirts 
around  her  and  step  into  her  carriage,  half 
hoping  that  some  envious  girl  was  viewing 
her  perfections  as  she  had  once  eyed  those 
of  others.  On  the  other  hand.  Miss  Huntress 
derived  almost  equal  pleasure  out  of  her  ac- 
quaintance with  Lena,  whose  littleness  she 
measured,  and  whose  small  successes  she 
looked  upon  with  amusement,  unflecked  by 


LENA'S  FRIENDS  317 

envy.  Emily  Huntress  was  a  plodding  per- 
son, with  mnch  business  on  hand  and  an 
earnest  necessity  for  earning  money,  and 
though  her  canons  were  not  over  fine,  still 
she  had  her  standards  and  lived  up  to  them. 
She  found  Lena  useful  as  a  source  of  social 
information. 

^^You  want  to  know  what  is  going  on?"  in- 
quired Mrs.  Percival.  ^^Well,  of  course  you 
know  it's  Lent,  and  there  isn't  anything  much. 
But  if  you  will  come  up  to  my  boudoir,  I  will 
look  over  my  engagement  book,  and  perhaps 
I  can  help  you  to  a  paragraph  or  two. ' ' 

The  word  boudoir  was  a  sweetmeat  to 
Lena's  palate,  combined,  as  it  was,  with  the 
knowledge  that  her  visitor,  with  a  sister,  kept 
house  in  three  rooms. 

So  they  went  up  stairs,  and  Lena  babbled 
and  preened  herself,  while  Miss  Huntress 
frowned  and  pondered  on  the  difficulties  of 
making  anything  readable  out  of  her  small 
kernel  of  information.  The  arrival  of  a  cup 
of  tea.  Miss  Huntress,  being  a  woman  as  well 
as  a  reporter,  found  mollifying  to  the  hard- 
ness of  life. 

^^I  see,"  she  said  with  an  acid  little  laugh, 
^^you  have  the  Chatterer  up  here  in  your  un- 
holy of  unholies."    Her  eyes  fell  on  a  small 


318  JEWEL  WEED 

magazine  which  made  a  speciality  of  be- 
smirching the  good  names  of  the  entire  coun- 
try. ^^  Everybody  reads  it,  and  everybody 
pretends  to  despise  it." 

^^It's  awfully  interesting,"  said  Lena,  and 
she  went  on  with  a  little  giggle,  ^'I  think  I'll 
just  tuck  it  away  before  my  husband  comes 
in.  He  doesn't  approve  of  it,  you  know.  Men 
don't  care  for  gossip.  I  think  it  is  perfectly 
wonderful  what  an  amount  of  scandal  it  gets 
hold  of.  I  don't  see  how  they  do  it.  And 
they've  such  a  naughty  way  of  writing  it  up, 
too." 

^ '  Nothing  very  remarkable.  In  every  town 
of  importance  they  have  some  one  always  on 
the  lookout  for  a  promising  piece  of  mud." 
Miss  Huntress  eyed  Lena  speculatively  for  a 
moment.  ^^I'll  tell  you  in  confidence,"  she 
went  on,  ^  ^  and  I  trust  you  to  keep  mum  about 
it,  for  the  sake  of  the  times  when  I  helped 
you — ^I  write  for  it  here.  I  don't  exactly  like 
it,  but  you  know  I  can't  afford  to  despise  dol- 
lars and  cents.  It's  just  plain  business,  after 
all.  There's  a  demand  for  that  kind  of  thing 
and  it  falls  to  my  lot  to  supply  it." 

^ '  And  did  you  write  that  awful  thing  about 
Mrs.  Clarke?"  cried  Lena,  sitting  up  with 
big  blue  eyes^  and  gazing  earnestly  at  Miss 


LENA'S  FEIENDS  319 

Huntress  witli  awe  as  an  arbiter  of  reputa- 
tions. 

'*  Yep,"  replied  that  lady  with  a  gulp  of  tea. 

^^ Gracious!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Percival.  **I 
hope  you'll  never  send  them  anything  about 
me." 

^^Then  you'd  better  never  do  anything  in- 
discreet," Miss  Huntress  laughed  malicious- 
ly. ^^But  I  don't  think  you  would,"  she  went 
on  speculatively.  ^*  You 're  too  clever  and  too 
ambitious  for  that.  Do  you  know,  I've  rather 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  it's  only  rather 
simple-hearted  people  who  do  those  things. 
Take  that  Mrs.  Clarke,  now.  Of  course  her 
husband  was  a  brute,  and  when  the  other  man 
came  along  she  fell  so  much  in  love  with  him 
that  she  didn't  even  think  of  any  one  else  in 
the  world  except  their  two  selves.  A  woman 
who  was  incapable  of  whole-souled  passion 
would  have  kept  an  eye  on  the  world  and 
walked  the  narrow  path  of  virtue." 

^^Why,  you're  defending  her!"  exclaimed 
Lena. 

^^Not  in  the  least,"  said  Miss  Huntress 
grimly.  '^I  helped  to  make  her  pay  the 
price. ' ' 

^*0h,  well,"  Lena  said  with  an  air  of  great- 
ness, **  there  are  some  of  us  who  can  combine 


320  JEWEL  WEED 

the  deepest  love  with  decent  behavior  you 
know. ' ' 

^'Of  course,"  answered  Miss  Huntress. 

^^Now  Miss  Elton  is  just  that  other  kind. 
I  believe  she  never  thinks  what  people  say 
about  her,"  Lena  observed.  ^^Not  that  she'd 
do  anything  out  of  the  way,  you  understand. ' ' 

^^ Certainly  not."  Miss  Huntress  began  to 
prick  up  her  professional  ears.  ' '  She 's  a  par- 
ticular friend  of  yours,  isn't  she?" 

^^ Intimate,"  said  Lena.  ^^Tou  know  they 
used  to  say  that  Mr.  Percival — ^but  of  course 
that  was  before  he  met  me,  and  anyway  there 
was  nothing  in  it." 

^^I  know,"  said  Miss  Huntress.  ^^I  sent  a 
line  to  the  CUatterer  once  about  it." 

^^Did  you  really?  Well,  of  course,  for 
form's  sake,  she  has  to  be  as  nice  as  ever  to 
me  and  Mr.  Percival.  But  she  has  reconciled 
herself.    It's  all  Mr.  Early  now." 

^^You  don't  say!"  ejaculated  Miss  Hunt- 
ress with  interest. 

'^ She's  regularly  throwing  herself  at  his 
head.  Why  only  this  afternoon  I  saw  her  do 
the  most  unconventional  thing. ' ' 

^^What  wasit?" 

*'0h,  I  dare  say  she  was  just  getting  him 
to  subscribe  to  some  charity  or  something 


LENA'S  FEIENDS  321 

equally  innocent.  Still,  it  was  queer.  But  I 
know  her  too  well  to  suspect  her  of  any  im- 
propriety. She's  really  the  dearest,  sweetest 
girl,  Miss  Huntress,  and  I'm  the  last  person 
in  the  world  to  criticize  her. ' ' 

But  aren't  you  going  to  tell  me?" 
Well,  she  came,  quite  alone,  you  under- 
stand, to  Mr.  Early's  this  afternoon,  and  was 
closeted  there  the  longest  time.  I  couldn't 
help  wondering  what  it  was  all  about.  "What 
do  you  suppose?" 

^^That  was  funny,"  meditated  Miss  Hunt- 
ress. 

^^I'm  certain  there's  some  perfectly  natural 
explanation,  if  we  only  knew  it,"  Lena  went 
on.  ^^But  she  looked  awfully  flushed  when 
she  came  out." 

'^ Thank  you,"  said  Miss  Huntress.  *'I 
must  be  going  now." 

^^Oh,  won't  you  have  another  cup  of  tea? 
Of  course,  I'm  on  very  good  terms  with  Miss 
Elton,"  said  Lena,  fingering  the  tray  cloth  a 
little  nervously.  ^*I  shouldn't  like  her  to 
think  I'd  criticized  her  behavior,  even  to 
you." 

*^You  needn't  be  afraid,"  rejoined  Miss 
Huntress.  ^^I  never  let  on  how  I  get  my  in- 
formation.   I'd  lose  my  job  if  I  did.    Much 


322  JEWEL  WEED 

obliged  to  yon,  Mrs.  Percival.  Things  are  so 
dull  during  Lent  that  we  're  thankful  for  even 
a  few  crumbs.  I  guess  that's  your  husband's 
step.    It  must  be  getting  late. ' ' 

^^Oh,  good-by!  Dick,  you  dear  boy,  how 
glad  I  am  to  see  you,"  cried  Lena,  fluttering 
to  the  door  to  meet  her  returning  lord. 
''Miss  Huntress,  this  is  my  husband.  Good- 
by,  again.  Don't  you  remember?"  she  went 
on,  as  Dick  followed  her  back  into  her  room. 
''She  used  to  be  my  'boss'  when  I  was  a 
poor  little  slavey  in  the  Star  office,  before  my 
best  beloved  prince  came  and  rescued  me  from 
dragons  and  printers'  devils." 

"And  are  you  so  fond  of  her  that  you  keep 
up  the  acquaintance  ? ' ' 

' '  Oh,  I  remember  how  hard  it  used  to  be  to 
get  'matter';  and  I  don't  mind  helping  her 
out  a  bit  when  she's  hard  pressed." 

"You  are  a  kind-hearted  little  soul,  Lena,'^ 
— and  her  husband  stooped  and  kissed  her 
fondly,  doing  penance  in  his  heart  for  his 
doubts  of  a  day  or  two  ago,  thoughts  cruel, 
unjust,  unwarranted.  Lena  had  never  looked 
more  delectable  than  now,  with  her  head  on 
one  side,  pouring  his  tea.  She  kissed  each 
lump  of  sugar  as  she  put  it  in  and  laughed  at 
her  own  conceit ;  and  she  brought  the  cup  over 


LENA'S  FEIENDS  323 

to  his  chair  and  rubbed  her  apple  blossom  of 
a  cheek  against  his  with  a  little  purr. 

^^I'm  afraid  you  think  me  very  silly,  Dick,'^ 
she  laughed.  ^^I  do  not  seem  to  get  a  bit 
wiser  or  better  behaved,  do  I,  for  all  Mrs. 
Appleton  and  Eam  Juna,  and  even  your 
lovely  high-bred  mother?  Dick,  do  you  de- 
spise me?" 

^^ Despise!  Why  I  love  and  love  you  and 
love  you  all  over,"  said  Dick. 


CHAPTEE  XVII 

GKAPE-SHOT 

Mrs.  Quincy,  in  her  solitary  confinement, 
unloved  and  complaining,  might  be  consid- 
ered a  figure  either  repulsive  or  pathetic, 
according  to  the  onlooker's  point  of  view. 
Fortunately  there  are  always  a  few  big 
enough  at  heart  to  turn  towards  the  world  a 
face  of  affection  rather  than  of  criticism,  to 
whom  woe  appeals  more  than  vulgarity. 

So,  once  in  a  while  in  her  busy  life,  Mrs. 
Lenox  found  time  to  drop  in  as  the  bearer  of 
a  cheerful  word  and  a  friendly  look  to  the 
ugly  little  apartment  where  Mrs.  Quincy  lived 
in  the  third  story  height  of  domestic  felicity. 

On  an  April  afternoon  she  came,  like  a 
dark-eyed  Flora,  her  hands  loaded  with  daffo- 
dils that  might  bring  a  glow  of  the  beauty  of 
spring  even  to  an  inartistic  spirit.  The 
front  door  stood  open,  and  a  flat  has  an  un- 
relenting way  of  laying  bare  all  the  skeletons 
that  find  no  closet  room.    Mrs.  Lenox  sur- 

324 


GRAPE-SHOT  325 

prised  a  scene  of  domestic  economy  in  the 
tiny  parlor.  The  curtains  had  been  taken 
down  for  fear  they  would  fade,  and  a  large 
piece  of  newspaper  lay  where  the  sunlight 
struck  the  carpet.  In  the  middle  of  the  room 
sat  Mrs.  Quincy,  and  before  her  on  a  kitchen 
chair  stood  a  little  tub  of  foamy  soap-suds. 
A  maid  was  stationed  at  hand  with  a  bar  of 
soap  and  a  bottle  of  ammonia,  and  the  steam 
of  homely  cleanliness  filled  the  air. 

^^Good  gracious,  I  declare!"  ejaculated 
Mrs.  Quincy,  ^4f  it  ain't  Mrs.  Lenox!  Come 
right  in.  I'm  just  washin'  out  my  under- 
flannels  and  my  stockin's.  I  can't  bear  the 
slovenly  ways  of  servants,  and  it's  only  my- 
self as  can  do  'em  to  suit  myself.  There, 
Sarah,  you  take  the  things  away,  and  I'll  let 
you  rinse  'em  out  this  once.  And  mind  you 
do  it  good.  Be  sure  to  use  four  rinsin's. 
And  soft  water,  mind.  And  hand  me  a  towel 
to  wipe  off  my  hands.  It's  real  good  of  you 
to  come  and  see  a  forlorn  old  woman,  that  I 
know  can't  be  much  pleasure  to  you,  Mrs. 
Lenox.  There  ain't  many  that  takes  the 
trouble.  And  yet  time  was  when  I  was  con- 
sidered as  good-lookin'  as  that  ungrateful 
daughter  of  mine,  that  I  slaved  for  for  years. 
Put  them  flowers  in  water,  Sarah.    I  guess 


326  JEWEL  WEED 

a  butter  jar's  the  only  thing  I  got  that's  big 
enough  to  hold  them." 

Mrs.  Lenox  sat  down,  wondering  if  time 
and  life  could  ever  transform  the  smooth 
beauty  of  Lena's  features  to  this  semblance 
of  failure  which  they  so  closely  resembled. 
Mrs.  Quincy's  face  was  like  a  grain  field  over 
which  the  storms  had  swept,  changing  what 
was  its  glory  to  a  horror. 

The  scarlet-faced  Sarah  hustled  tub  and 
chair  and  dripping  garments  kitchen-ward. 
The  visitor  took  up  her  task  of  cheerfulness, 
and  Mrs.  Quincy  cackled  and  grumbled  to  her 
heart's  content. 

'^Lena'd  be  'shamed  to  death  if  she  knew 
you'd  caught  me  doin'  my  wash,"  she  whined. 
**I  hope  you  won't  tell  her.  She  can  come 
down  on  me  pretty  hard  sometimes,  I  tell 
you. ' ' 

^^Oh,  I  won't  tell,"  Mrs.  Lenox  laughed. 
'*I  only  wish  you  had  let  me  help.  I  was 
thinking  what  fun  it  must  be — with  a  maid 
to  hold  the  soap.  It  took  me  back  to  nursery 
days.    I  used  to  love  to  wash  dolls'  clothes." 

'^I  don't  do  it  for  fun,"  Mrs.  Quincy  snap- 
ped. ^^But  I  ain't  provided  with  a  servant 
that's  worth  her  salt.  If  anybody's  depen- 
dent, like  I  am,  on  a  whipper-snapper  son-in- 


GEAPE-SHOT  327 

law,  that  ain't  got  affection  enough  for  me  to 
spend  an  hour  a  week  with  me — ^why,  I  guess 
I  have  to  pinch  and  scrape  wherever  I  can. 
No  knowin'  when  I'll  git  more.  I've  worked 
hard  all  my  life  for  other  folks,  Mrs.  Lenox. 
You  can  see  by  my  hands  how  I've  worked. 
And  what  do  I  get  for  it?  A  stranger  like 
you  is  kinder  to  me  than  my  own  flesh  and 
blood.  And  I  know  well  enough  that  if 
Eichard  Percival  throws  me  a  crust,  it's  only 
because  he  would  be  ashamed  to  have  folks 
say  his  mother-in-law  was  starving.  Oh,  I 
let  him  know  that  I  see  through  him  whenever 
he  comes  near  me — ^which  ain't  very  often. 
And  Lena  goes  days  and  days  and  never 
comes  to  see  me."  Her  voice  and  her  gar- 
rulity were  rising,  but  here  a  sob  gave  pause, 
and  Mrs.  Lenox  rushed  in,  repressing  an  im- 
pulse to  say  a  word  on  the  elementary  laws 
of  give  and  take  in  love. 

^^Well,  I  think  you  are  very  sensible  to  do 
the  washing.  One  must  have  some  occupa- 
tion to  fill  the  days,  mustn't  one?  And  there 
aren't  many  things,  when  one  is  tied  to  the 
house.  If  to-morrow  is  warm,  I  wonder  if 
you  would  feel  up  to  a  little  drive  in  the  after- 
noon?" 

^^I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  I  would." 


328  JEWEL  WEED 

^^And  do  you  care  for  reading?  I've 
brought  you  a  rather  clever  little  story.  I 
see  you  have  all  the  magazines." 

^^Yes,  Lena  sends  'em.  She  thinks  they'll 
occupy  me  and  save  her  the  trouble  of  comin' 
herself.  But,  good  land,  I  don't  care  for  'em 
beyond  lookin'  at  the  pictures  and  the  adver- 
tisements— except  the  Ladies^  Home  Com- 
panion.  That  has  good  recipes  in  it;  only 
Sarah  can't  make  nothin'  that's  fit  to  eat. 
But  I  did  read  that  thing  in  the  Chatterer 
about  Miss  Elton.  You've  seen  it,  of 
course!" — and  she  laughed  with  cheerful 
malice  and  licked  her  lips  like  a  cat. 

' '  About  Miss  Elton  ?  In  the  Chatterer  1  1 
haven't  the  least  idea  of  what  you  are  talk- 
ing," said  Mrs.  Lenox  in  a  dazed  way. 

^^It's  over  there,"  returned  the  lady,  with 
a  comprehensive  wave  of  the  thumb.  ^^You 
can  read  it.  Lena  said  it  couldn't  be  any- 
body else."  Mrs.  Lenox  rose  and  took  the 
magazine  from  the  table.  She  walked  over 
to  the  window  and  deliberately  turned  her 
back  on  her  hostess.  Her  hands  shook  a  little 
as  she  turned  page  after  page  till  her  eyes 
fell  on  this  little  paragraph. 

^'In  a  certain  western  city  which  is  famous 
for  its  flour  and  lumber  interests,  there  lives 


GRAPE-SHOT  329 

a  bachelor  who  has  made  it  still  more  illus- 
trious in  the  realms  of  art  and  literature.  It 
is  a  standing  insult  to  feminine  humanity  that 
a  man  both  famous  and  wealthy  should  re- 
main single,  but,  so  far,  all  attacks  upon  the 
citadel  of  his  heart  have  proved  futile. 
Eumor  now  has  it  that  a  capitulation  is  immi- 
nent, but  the  besieging  force  has  been  driven 
to  unusual  measures  to  secure  it.  A  college 
training  gives  a  girl  the  advantage  over  her 
fellows,  both  in  expedients  and  in  determina- 
tion. Not  content  with  the  extraordinary 
attractions  conferred  on  her  by  her  own 
beauty,  the  young  lady  who  is  ahead  in  the 
race  for  the  gay  bachelor's  heart  has  been 
carrying  the  war  into  Egypt.  Gossip  saith 
that  there  are  quiet  hours  spent  by  these  two 
in  the  seclusion  of  the  bachelor's  stately 
home,  when,  doubtless,  his  masculine  heart 
melteth  within  him,  and  the  bonds  of  his  servi- 
tude are  tightened.  Still,  it  is  a  dangerous 
game  for  a  supposedly  reputable  girl  to  play, 
isn't  it?  and  a  little  —  well,  let  us  call  it  un- 
conventional. ' ' 

Mrs.  Lenox  shut  the  magazine  and  her  own 
teeth. 

^^It  is  inconceivable  that  such  stuff  should 
be  printed,  and  that  people  should  buy  it," 


330  JEWEL  WEED 

she  said.  ^'But  you  see  it  is  so  vague  that  it 
might  refer  to  any  one  at  any  place,  and 
even  if  we  knew  who  was  meant,  it  is  too 
insignificant  a  piece  of  small  malice  to  receive 
anything  but  contempt.  And  now  good-by, 
Mrs.  Quincy.  I  hope  these  coming  spring 
days  are  going  to  help  you  to  better  health. '^ 

*' Good-by.  I  always  appreciate  your 
visits,"  whined  Mrs.  Quincy.  ^'I'm  sure, 
with  all  you  have  to  do,  I  don't  wonder  you 
don't  come  oftener.  I  know  there's  no  thin  ^ 
to  draw  you. ' ' 

Mrs.  Lenox  went  away  with  a  deep  breath 
and  a  longing  for  fresh  air.  She  shook  her 
head  at  the  waiting  coachman  and  said,  ^*I 
am  going  to  walk,  Emil. ' ' 

She  moved  along  in  a  cloud  of  conjectures, 
not  that  the  small  paragraph  seemed  to  her 
very  important,  but  she  was  a  little  sickened 
by  the  sudden  glimpse  of  petty  minds,  who, 
being  rich,  stay  by  preference  in  the  slums. 

*^Mrs.  Quincy,  like  Mrs.  Percival,  makes  me 
feel  that  life  is  not  a  big  thing  to  be  lived  for 
some  big  reason,  but  an  affair  to  be  scrambled 
through  day  by  day,  grabbing  everything  you 
can,  and  hating  those  who  have  grabbed  more. 
What  a  way  to  worry  through  seventy  or 
eighty  years !"  she  groaned  to  herself. 


GEAPE-SHOT  331 

Almost  at  her  own  door  she  met  Eam  Juna, 
who  turned  with  her  to  make  one  of  his  pon- 
derous calls,  while  she  sat  and  talked  with  him 
of  emptiness  and  philosophy,  with  that  viva- 
cious patience  that  becomes  a  habit  with 
women  of  the  world;  bnt  when  the  door 
opened  and  her  husband  appeared,  accom- 
panied by  Dick  Percival  and  Ellery  Norris 
she  heaved  a  distinct  sigh  of  relief. 

^^iWe  know  that  the  dinner  hour  is  looming 
on  the  horizon,  and  we  're  not  going  to  stay, ' ' 
said  Dick.  ^^But  your  husband  has  some 
civic  reform  monographs  that  I  thought  I 
would  borrow  while  he  was  in  the  lending 
mood." 

^^You  needn't  apologize,  Dick,"  she  laugh- 
ed. ''You  are  more  than  tolerated  in  this 
house." 

There  came  a  sharp  noise,  and  Madeline 
Elton,  with  pale  face  and  eyes  big,  stood  in 
the  doorway.  Every  one  knew  that  some- 
thing had  happened,  and  Mrs.  Lenox,  who  saw 
the  rolled  magazine  in  the  nervous  hand, 
guessed  its  purport  in  a  flash. 

''My  dear  girl!"  she  cried,  running  for- 
ward, "you  are  not  going  to  let  such  a  pin- 
prick hurt  you!" 

"Oh,  Vera,"  exclaimed  the  girl,  putting  her 


332  JEWEL  WEED 

face  down  on  her  friend's  shoulder,  ^^you 
know!  It  does  hurt.  I  can't  help  it,"  and 
she  sobbed. 

The  three  men  looked  on  in  puzzled  helpless 
masculinity,  and  the  Swami  surveyed  the 
scene  as  the  two  women  clung  to  each  other. 

^^Vera,"  said  Mr.  Lenox,  ^^are  we  per- 
mitted to  know  what  this  means?"  Mrs. 
Lenox  kept  her  arm  around  Madeline's 
shoulder  as  she  turned. 

^^It's  only  an  ugly  little  fling  in  the  Chat- 
terer,  Frank,"  she  said,  ^^and  it  sounds  as 
though  it  might  refer  to  Madeline.  It  is  noth- 
ing, but  I  dare  say  my  dear  girl  does  not 
enjoy  a  bit  of  dirt  even  on  her  outer  garment. 
And,  Madeline,  very  likely  it  is  not  meant  for 
you." 

' '  Oh,  yes,  it  is, ' '  cried  the  girl.  ^ '  Some  one 
sent  me  this  marked  copy.  And  I  went  there 
once  when  I  thought  he  had  invited  a  crowd 
to  see  some  tapestries.  There  was  no  one 
else  there.  There  is  just  so  much  truth  in 
it." 

^^  Would  you  rather  that  we  should  not  see 
it?"  asked  Mr.  Lenox. 

^^I'm  afraid  every  one  will  see  it,"  said 
Madeline  shamefacedly,  as  she  held  out  the 
guilty  pages.     The  three  men  leaned  their 


GEAPE-SHOT  333 

heads  over  the  table  with  a  curiosity  that 
would  have  done  credit  to  women,  while  Earn 
Juna  still  looked  on. 

'^I  have  already  beheld  the  writing,"  he 
said  suavely.  ^'Mr.  Early  gave  way  to  un- 
wonted anger  when  he  saw.  The  lady  must 
have  an  enemy. ' ' 

^^That  is  it,"  cried  Madeline,  turning  upon 
him  swiftly.  ^'I  think  I  am  not  so  much  hurt 
by  the  scandal — every  one  who  knows  me  will 
believe  better  of  me — ^but  what  cuts  is  that 
there  should  be  some  one  who  wants  to  hurt 
me.  I — ^I  Ve  always  thought  of  the  world  as 
a  friendly  place.    Who  is  it  that  hates  me?" 

^^Bah,  it  is  a  very  small  enemy  who  seeks 
small  revenge,"  said  the  Swami,  whose  own 
heart  was  filled  with  contempt  and  irritation. 
This  was  not  according  to  his  plan.  ^^In 
India,  we  do  not  so  revenge. ' ' 

Mr.  Lenox  stepped  back  to  the  fireplace, 
from  which  point  a  man  always  surveys  the 
world  at  an  advantage. 

'^It  isn't  worth  an  extra  heart-beat.  Miss 
Elton,"  he  said.  ^^ Ignore  it  and  your  world 
will  promptly  forget  it. ' ' 

^^But,  Mr.  Lenox,  you  do  not  understand. 
It  is  not  the  question  of  the  truth  or  false- 
hood of  the  story  that  shakes  me.    As  you 


334  JEWEL  WEED 

say,  that  is  too  absurd.  But  I  shall  always 
wonder  who  is  my  enemy,  and  why. ' ' 

Norris  was  looking  at  her  with  awakened 
terror.  With  the  intuition  of  love,  he  had 
read  the  processes  of  her  self -conquest  at  the 
time  of  Dick's  marriage.  But  here  was  a  new 
possibility.  Could  it  be  that  this  fair  and 
delicate  creature  was  now  to  be  enwoofed  by 
Sebastian  Early,  whom  at  this  juncture 
Ellery  characterized  to  himself  as  a  ^*fat 
toad"?  He  made  up  his  mind  that  it  would 
not  do  to  trust,  as  he  had  been  doing,  to  time 
to  stand  his  friend.  He  must  also  bestir  him- 
self. 

^'I  wonder,"  he  said  aloud,  ^^I  wonder  if 
Miss  Huntress  knows  anything  about  it.  I 
have  a  dim  idea  that  some  one  told  me  that 
she  wrote  things  for  the  Chatterer.  Our 
society  editor,  you  know." 

*^But  even  if  she  did  dislike  me — and  I 
don't  know  her  from  Adam  —  how  could  she 
know?"  said  Madeline,  turning  on  him. 
*^You  see  I  was  alone  with  Mr.  Early,  and  I 
am  sure,  for  certain  reasons,"  here  Ellery 
was  horrified  to  see  a  little  flush  creeping  over 
her  face,  ^  ^  that  he  would  not  be  guilty  of  any 
attempt  to  besmirch  me.  And  no  one  else 
knew  that  I  was  there — except — "    A  sudden 


GRAPE-SHOT  335 

startled  look  came  over  her  face  and  she 
looked  involuntarily  at  Dick.  ^^  Except — " 
she  said,  and  her  voice  trailed  off. 

^^  Besides,  these  small  acts  are  those  of 
women,"  said  the  Swami  placidly.  Dick  had 
caught  Madeline 's  look  of  astonished  compre- 
hension and  he  turned  pale  as  he  saw.  Now, 
with  Ram  Juna's  words,  conviction  flashed 
upon  him.  He  remembered  Lena's  dislike 
for  Madeline,  of  which  he  had  made  light ;  he 
remembered  the  little  insignificant  woman 
whom  he  had  met  in  his  wife's  boudoir;  the 
fact  that  he  was  Mr.  Early's  nearest  neighbor 
clapped  assurance  on  suspicion,  and  his  mud- 
dled mind  was  capable  of  only  one  idea.  No 
one  else,  least  of  all,  Madeline,  must  suspect 
her  little  meanness. 

'^Dick,  you  have  an  inkling,"  said  Mr. 
Lenox  abruptly,  but  in  all  innocence. 

'^Not  in  the  least,"  said  Dick  hurriedly. 
^^I  assure  you  that  if  I  had  the  slightest  rea- 
son to  suspect  any  one,  I  would  be  the  first  to 
speak.  I — ^you  know  I  think  everything  of 
you,  Madeline."  He  went  toward  her  in  a 
futile  way,  with  outstretched  hand,  but  Made- 
line's  eyes  were  down,  and  apparently  she 
did  not  see  the  friendly  overture.  His  face 
looked  pale,  strained  and  old  as  he  stood  for 


336  JEWEL  WEED 

a  moment  before  her,  and  the  others  surveyed 
them  in  silence. 

^'As  you  say,"  said  Dick,  in  sprightly 
fashion,  ^Hhe  best  thing  is  to  forget  the  whole 
incident.  Lenox,  if  you  will  give  me  those 
papers,  I  must  be  off." 

'^Our  lines  lie  parallel,"  said  the  Swami. 
'^Will  you  permit  that  I  walk  with  you?" 

The  four  who  remained  stood  awkwardly 
during  the  departure,  and  with  the  closing  of 
the  door,  Mr.  Lenox  gave  an  inarticulate 
ejaculation. 

^^Miss  Elton,"  he  said,  ^^I  think  your  prob- 
lem is  solved. ' ' 

^^You  mean  it  was  Mrs.  Percival?" 

^'You  are  as  sure  as  L" 

^^And  Dick  knew,"  said  Ellery.  He 
blushed  as  he  spoke. 

^^Oh  no,  Mr.  Norris!"  cried  Madeline  in 
sharp  distress.  ^^That  would  be  unendur- 
able.    And  besides,  he  said  he  didn't." 

''Dick  lied,"  Ellery  stated  calmly. 

''I  will  never  believe  that  Dick  would  lie." 

''He  certainly  lied,"  Ellery  persisted. 
"Any  man  would  lie  to  protect  the  woman  he 
loves." 

"Never!"  exploded  Mrs.  Lenox.  "Frank, 
you  would  not  lie  for  me !" 


GEAPE-SHOT  337 


i( 


Assuredly  I  would,"   her  husband   an- 
swered quietly,  ^^if  you  needed  lying  for." 

She  looked  at  him  with  speechless  dismay. 

^^ Therefore,"  EUery  went  on,  *^it  behooves 
a  man  to  love  a  woman  who  demands  truth 
and  not  untruth  as  her  reasonable  service. 
The  responsibility  rests  with  you  women. 
You  can  not  only  make  men  lie,  but  you  can 
make  them  believe  that  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  truth  in  the  universe.     Isn  't  it  so,  Lenox  ? ' ' 

Mr.  Lenox  smiled  and  nodded,  Jove-like. 

^^Oh,  yes,  they  pull  some  strings,"  he  said; 
^'but  don't  cocker  them  up  too  much.  Don't 
make  them  think  we  are  nothing  but  clay  in 
their  hands." 

^^You  couldn't,  because,  to  our  sorrow,  we 
know  better, ' '  retorted  his  wife. 

^^Nevertheless,  you've  unsettled  every- 
thing," said  Madeline  dejectedly. 

''But,  Miss  Elton,"  Norris  put  in,  ''you 
must  not  think  that  I  believe  that  a  man  is 
without  responsibility  for  the  kind  of  woman 
he  loves.  That  is  where  the  first  turning  up 
or  down  comes  in.  He 's  no  right  to  give  his 
soul  to  the  thing  that  is  mean  or  base.  He 
has  the  right  to  choose  his  road,  but  after  he's 
chosen,  he  has  to  travel  wherever  the  road 
leads.    Dick's  disintegration  began  from  the 


338  JEWEL  WEED 

moment  that  he  met  Miss  Qnincy.  I've 
known  it  for  a  long  time. ' ' 

' '  Poor  little  thing ! ' '  said  Madeline.  ' '  She 
is  so  small.  I  hope  she  will  grow  to  be  some- 
thing like  a  mate  for  Dick. ' ' 

'^Do  not  flatter  yourself  with  wishes,"  cried 
Mrs.  Lenox.  ' '  There 's  only  one  soil  in  which 
the  sonl  can  grow,  and  that  is  love.  Unless  I 
misread  her,  there  is  no  room  in  her  for  any- 
thing but  Lena  Quincy  Percival. ' ' 

^^And  yet,"  objected  EUery,  ^^she  is  cer- 
tainly not  a  person  weighted  with  intellect. 
I  should  say  she  is  all  impulse  and  emotion." 

^'Anomalous  but  by  no  means  uncommon, 
Mr.  Norris,"  she  rejoined.  ^^AU  emotion, 
yet  without  emotion  of  the  heart.  In  her  lit- 
tle world,  self  lies  at  the  equator,  and  every 
one  else  is  pushed  off  to  the  frozen  poles." 

The  others  looked  at  her  doubtfully. 

''Don't  you  think  I  have  studied  her?  She 
has  been  a  bald  revelation  to  me  of  things  I 
have  only  half  understood  in  better-bred 
women.  She's  like  a  weed  transplanted  from 
her  lean  ground  to  a  garden  and  grown  more 
luxuriant  in  her  weediness.  Do  you  know 
what  I  think?  I  believe  that  when  the  last 
judgment  shall  strip  her  of  her  sweet  pink 
flesh,  there  will  be  nothing  found  inside  but 


GRAPE-SHOT  339 

a  little  dry  kernel,  too  hard  to  bite,  and 
labeled^  self'.'' 

^^Yon  are  positively  vicious.  Vera,"  said 
her  husband  gravely. 

The  tears  came  to  her  eyes  as  she  turned 
to  him. 

^^I  really  loved  Dick,  and  she  has  stung 
him. ' ' 

^^But  all  this  does  not  explain  her  hatred 
for  Madeline. ' ' 

^'Do  you  not  understand  that  even  petty 
people  can  see  how  dreary  and  stupid  their 
lives  are  when  a  person  like  Madeline  comes 
along?     So  they  hate  her." 

^'It's  good  of  you  to  consider  my  feelings 
how  they  grow,  and  to  try  to  bolster  them 
up,"  Madeline  smiled.  ^^But  I  am  fearfully 
tired.  I  must  go  home.  I  hope  that  my 
father  and  mother  will  never  hear  of  this." 

''Why  should  they?"  said  Mr.  Lenox. 
''It's  only  a  trifle  after  all,  though,  to  be  true 
to  her  nature.  Vera  must  needs  philosophize 
about  it.    It 's  only  a  trifle. ' ' 

"Except  for  Dick,"  Ellery  exploded. 

' '  Except  for  Dick, ' '  Mr.  Lenox  echoed. 

"It's  a  great  pity,"  Mrs.  Lenox  meditated, 
"that  Dick  can't  knock  her  down  and  then 
they  could  start  again  on  a  proper  basis. ' ' 


340  JEWEL  WEED 

*^It  is  a  disadvantage  to  be  a  gentleman/' 
laughed  her  husband. 

^^Vera,"  said  Madeline  impulsively,  ^^you 
won't  let  this  make  any  difference  between  us 
and  Mrs.  Percival?  If  she  is  a  little  twisted, 
poor  child,  she  has  had  a  cruel  training;  and 
she  needs  decent  women  all  the  more.  I — ^I 
really  have  quite  got  over  my  anger  with 
her — and  don't  let  us  lose  Dick.  Dick  is  like 
my  brother.  I  mustn't  break  with  him.  We 
must  all  be  good  to  him. ' ' 

^'I  do  not  know  that  I  feel  any  large  philan- 
thropy," answered  Mrs.  Lenox,  with  some- 
thing between  a  laugh  and  a  wry  face.  *^But 
as  I  have  invited  them  as  well  as  you  to  spend 
Easter  with  us  in  the  country,  I  suppose  the 
ordinary  laws  of  society  will  require  me  to 
behave  myself."  The  older  woman  kissed 
Madeline  warmly,  and  EUery  moved  out  with 
her.  He  had  so  entirely  made  up  his  mind  to 
walk  home  with  her  that  he  quite  forgot  to 
ask  her  permission. 

He  began  to  talk  to  her  about  himself,  for 
almost  the  first  time  in  his  reticent  intimacy, 
and  she  forgot  her  own  affairs,  as  he  meant 
she  should,  in  listening. 

Afterward  she  could  not  remember  his 
words  because  parallel  with  them  she  was 


aKAPE-SHOT  341 

reading  her  own  interpretation.  Already  in 
a  vague  way  she  understood  him,  but  his  little 
story  gave  her  the  crystallized  impression. 

She  had  a  picture  of  a  lonely  childhood, 
fatherless  and  motherless  and  pervaded  with 
a  longing  for  love  that  early  learned  to  keep 
silence.  That  had  been  the  first  step  in  his 
self-possession.  Education  had  been  hard  to 
get,  and  yet  he  had  got  what  to  the  sons  of 
rich  men  comes  easily,  and  because  to  him  it 
meant  struggle,  it  had  been  the  more  treas- 
ured. Knowledge  came  hard  because  his 
mind  worked  slowly  and  painfully ;  therefore 
his  grip  was  the  tighter,  and  the  habits  of 
thought  wrought  out  by  exercise  were  now 
giving  him  a  facility  that  cleverer  men  might 
envy.  He  could  not  know  how  the  simple  his- 
tory gave  her  an  impression  of  slow  irresis- 
tible manhood,  always,  without  drifting,  mov- 
ing toward  its  chosen  end. 

When  they  halted  at  her  door,  she  had  a 
feeling  that  she  could  not  let  him  go,  just  yet. 

^ ^You'll  come  in  and  dine  with  us,  will  you 
not?"  she  asked  impulsively. 

^*I  wish  I  might,"  he  answered  with  that 
longing  tone  one  falls  into  when  surveying  an 
impossible  and  alluring  temptation.  ^^I  sim- 
ply have  to  work  to-night.    I'm  already  late 


342  JEWEL  WEED 

for  my  engagement.  May  I  come  sometime 
soon?" 

''I  wish  yon  would.  Father  is  really  very 
fond  of  you,"  she  went  on,  defending  her 
warmth.  ^^He  likes  young  men.  He  has  a 
sneaking  longing  for  them  that  no  mere  girl 
satisfies.  Dick  used  to  be  a  great  deal  to  him, 
but — Dick  has  drifted  away.  You  have  not 
been  to  see  us  for  a  long  time. ' ' 

^'Not  since  the  day  that  Dick's  engagement 
was  announced,"  he  answered,  looking  her 
boldly  in  the  face.  *^I  couldn't.  You  made 
me  feel  then  that  you  despised  me." 

'*I  despised  you?"  she  spoke  with  bland 
innocence  but  rising  color. 

^^Yes." 

Madeline  hesitated  and  looked  down.  She 
was  scarlet. 

^^I'm  not  going  to  pretend  to  misunder- 
stand you,"  she  said,  and  turned  laughing 
eyes  toward  him.  ^^I  knew  all  the  time  that 
it  was  Dick  who  had  done  some  shabby  thing, 
and  you  were  trying  to  shield  him. ' ' 

''You  knew?" 

' '  Of  course  I  knew. ' ' 

''But  you  told  me  I  ought  to  get  a  mast," 
EUery  fumbled. 

"I  meant  when  you  try  to  tell  lies.    You 


GRAPE-SHOT  343 

don't  do  it  with  the  grace  and  conviction  of  an 
accomplished  hand.  Pooh,  I  can  read  you 
like  an  open  book. ' ' 

^^I  am  very  glad  you  can,"  he  said  delib- 
erately. '^I  thank  God  you  can,  because  on 
every  page  you  will  read  the  truth — that  I 
love  you — I  love  you.  I'm  wanting  you  to 
read  it  in  your  own  way,  but  some  time  I  am 
going  to  let  the  passion  of  it  loosen  this  slow 
tongue  of  mine  and  tell  you  in  my  own  fashion 
how  much  it  is. ' ' 

He  turned  and  strode  abruptly  away. 
Madeline  went  in  to  the  firelight  of  home. 

^^Why,  you  look  as  bright  as  though  you'd 
heard  good  news,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Elton,  peer- 
ing over  his  newspaper  in  welcome. 

^^Do  I,  father?"  Madeline  stooped  to  rub 
her  cheek  softly  against  his  and  laughed  to 
herself.  ^'Why,  I  believe  I  have.  That 
shows  what  a  whirligig  I  am.  I  went  out 
thinking  life  was  a  tragedy,  and  I  come  back 
thinking  it — " 

^^What,  little  girl  r^ 

'^A  divine  comedy,"  said  Madeline  and 
laughed  again.  ' '  Just  see  what  a  walk  in  the 
open  air  will  do  for  a  body." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

EASTER 

Easter  came  lafe  in  April,  when,  to  match 
man's  mood,  it  should  come;  for  the  world 
was  alive  with  new  vitality.  The  south  winds 
were  infusing  their  wonder-working  heats, 
and  the  bluebirds  flashing  their  streaks  of 
color  through  branches  that  felt  the  stir  of 
sap,  amid  buds  that  strained  to  burst.  There 
was  the  smell  of  growth  where  bits  of  ^ '  secret 
greenness"  hid  behind  the  dead  leaves  of  last 
fall. 

On  Saturday  evening  Mrs.  Lenox  welcomed 
the  same  circle  that  had  met  at  her  home  the 
November  before,  and  Lena's  little  heart 
glowed  with  the  soul-satisfying  sense  of  the 
difference  to  her.  Then  she  had  been  a  social 
waif,  received  on  suffierance.  Now  she  was 
one  of  them.  She  could  even  afford  to  have 
her  own  opinions.  The  very  memory  of  past 
discomforts  doubled  the  present  blessedness, 
and  Mr.  Lenox  looked  only  half  the  size  that 

344 


EASTER  345 

he  had  six  months  before.  It  was  a  long 
stride  to  have  taken  in  half  a  year,  and  with 
reason  she  congratulated  herself  on  her  clev- 
erness. In  Mr.  Lenox's  gravity  of  manner 
as  he  took  her  in  to  dinner,  she  perceived  only 
respect  for  Mrs.  Percival,  not  knowing  that  he 
had  in  mind  the  small  episode  of  the  Chat- 
terer, which  his  wife  and  Miss  Elton  had 
agreed  to  ignore. 

*^What  very  sensible  people  we  are!"  ex- 
claimed Mrs.  Lenox  as  she  surveyed  her  small 
table  party.  *^We  shall  spend  to-morrow  in 
hunting  for  anemones  instead  of  looking  at 
our  neighbors '  spring  fineries ;  we  shall  catch 
the  first  robin  at  his  love  song,  instead  of  lis- 
tening to  the  cut  and  dried,  much-practised 
church  music;  and  we  shall  find  rest  to  our 
souls.  Dick,  I  am  sure  you  need  it.  You 
look  worn  out.  I'm  afraid  politics  is  proving 
a  hard  mistress." 

^'I  wonder  if  it  is  possible  to  do  too  much," 
said  Dick,  rousing  himself,  with  manifest  lan- 
guor. '^It's  only  the  way  he  does  it  that 
plays  a  man  out.  Here 's  Ellery,  now,  who 
works  like  a  galley  slave  and  looks  as  fresh  as 
the  proverbial  daisy." 

^^Well,  come,  you  are  criticizing  yourself 
even    more    severely,"    Mr.    Lenox    said. 


346  JEWEL  WEED 

*  ^You'll  have  to  learn  the  secret,  Dick,  of 
letting  your  arms  and  legs  and  brain  work  for 
you,  while  your  inner  man  remains  at  peace. 
That's  the  only  way  an  American  man  can 
live  in  these  hustling  days;  and  if  you  don't 
master  it,  the  young  men  will  come  in  and 
carry  you  out  by  the  time  that  you  are  fifty. ' ' 

^^And  there  are  worse  things  than  that," 
rejoined  Dick.  ^^I  suppose  it  is  the  universal 
experience  that  when  one  gets  out  of  the  free- 
dom of  extreme  youth  and  settles  down  to  the 
jog-trot,  harnessed  life,  the  way  looks  rather 
long  and  monotonous.  A  fellow  can't  help 
feeling  tired  to  think  how  tired  he  '11  be  before 
he  gets  to  the  end.  To-night  I  feel  as  old 
and  dry  as  a  mummy.  If  you  touch  me,  I'll 
crumble." 

^^Mrs.  Lenox  and  I  have  been  longer  in  the 
game  than  you,  Dick,"  answered  his  host 
whimsically.  *^We  are  getting  dangerously 
near  the  equator;  and  we  do  not  find  our- 
selves exhausted.  On  the  contrary,  I  rather 
think  the  scenery  improves,  in  some  respects, 
as  we  go  along." 

^^You  are  hardly  capable  of  measuring  the 
common  fate.  You  have  had  the  touchstone 
of  success,  and  the  world  has  opened  up 
before  you.     But  what  depress  me  and  im- 


EASTER  347 

press  me  are  the  sodden  people  whom  I  meet 
by  the  hmidred;  and  I  can't  help  reading  my 
fate  in  the  light  of  theirs.  There  are  such 
millions  of  ns,  obscure  and  uncounted  except 
on  the  census." 

^^If  you  will  persist  in  talking  serious 
things,"  said  EUery,  *4sn't  obscurity,  after 
all,  an  internal  and  not  an  external  quality? 
YouVe  got  to  believe  that  you  are  a  creature 
that  is  worth  while.  There  is  no  bitterness  in 
belonging  to  the  myriads  if  the  myriads  are 
themselves  dignified  by  nature." 

^*But  are  they?"  cried  Dick,  now  rousing 
himself.  ^^I  look  at  every  face  I  pass  on  the 
street.  I'm  always  on  the  search  for  some 
ideal  quality;  and  what  do  I  see?  Egotism 
and  greed  answer  me  from  all  their  eyes. 
The  ninety  and  nine  have  gone  astray. ' ' 

^  ^  Then  it  belongs  to  you  to  be  the  hundredth 
who  does  not  go  astray ;  and  who  gives  a  satis- 
factory answer  to  the  same  eternal  question- 
ing that  meets  you  in  the  eyes  of  other  men. 
It's  not  given  to  any  man  to  play  a  neutral 
part  in  the  world  conflict.  In  all  the  magni- 
ficent interplay  of  forces,  I  doubt  if  there  is 
any  force  strong  enough  to  keep  one  standing 
still." 

^^  Yes,  my  dear  EUery.    And  it  is  just  that 


348  JEWEL  WEED 

eternal  motion  that  I  am  complaining  about. 
It  is  burdensome  to  the  flesh  and  wearisome 
to  the  imagination  to  look  forward  to  a  future 
of  eternal  rushing  and  striving.  I  have  a 
multitude  of  experiences  every  year,  and  I 
straightway  forget  them*  and  that  deepens 
the  impression  that  all  these  little  affiairs  of 
ours,  about  which  we  make  such  an  infernal 
racket  at  the  time,  are  matters  of  very  small 
importance  in  the  march  of  the  centuries. 
The  march  of  the  centuries  may  be  majestic, 
but  the  waddle  of  this  little  ant  of  a  man  is 
not.    It 's  insignificant. ' ' 

^*  That's  a  dangerous  state  of  mind  to  be  in, 
Dick,"  said  Lenox. 

'^  And  after  all,  you  can't  help  being  a  very 
important  thing  to  yourself,"  said  Madeline. 
^^  And  it  must  be  of  eternal  significance  to  you 
whether  your  soul  is  walking  with  the  centur- 
ies or  against  them. ' ' 

^^My  dear  Madeline,"  answered  Dick, 
'^when  I  am  with  you  and  such  as  you  who 
live  on  a  little  remote  mountain,  eternity 
seems  a  very  important  matter;  but  when  I 
am  with  most  people,  next  Wednesday,  when 
taxes  are  due,  looms  up  and  shuts  out  eter- 
nity. And  you  will  permit  me  to  think  that 
you  women  who  are  sheltered  and  who  sit 


EASTER  349 

with  the  good  things  of  life  heaped  about  you, 
don't  know  very  much  about  practical  condi- 
tions. ' ' 

^^But  why  isn't  my  conscience  as  practical 
as  my  clothes?"  persisted  Madeline.  '^And 
why  is  the  fortune  made  to-day  in  Montana 
mines  and  lost  to-morrow  in  Wall  Street  any 
more  practical  than  this  same  majestic  march 
of  the  centuries  and  the  great  thoughts  that 
circle  about  it?  ^Practical'  is  such  a  foolish 
word,  Dick." 

* ^ Undoubtedly,  to  you,"  said  Dick  with  a 
little  sneer.  ^^But  to  most  of  the  race  to 
which  we  have  the  honor  to  belong  it  is  the 
word  that  makes  the  dictionary  heavy.  It  is 
because  you  do  not  know  its  meaning  that  you 
women,  or  perhaps  I  ought  to  use  the  despised 
term,  ^ladies,'  become  the  very  beautiful  and 
useless  articles  that  you  are  —  works  of  art, 
which  may  thrill  and  charm  a  man  for  a  mo- 
ment, when  he  has  time  to  look  at  them, 
but  which  bear  little  relation  to  the  stress 
of  life  which  you  can  not  comprehend. ' ' 

^^Dick!"  Madeline  spoke  almost  with  tears 
in  her  eyes.  ^^It  is  not  like  you  to  have  a 
fling  at  women. ' ' 

^^You  see  I'm  gathering  wisdom  as  I  go 
along. ' ' 


350  JEWEL  WEED 

'* Gathering  idiocy,  you  mean,"  interposed 
Mr.  Lenox.  ^^Dick,  you  young  fool,  the  ideal 
woman  is  the  goal  toward  which  the  rest  of 
humanity  must  run ;  and  the  sooner  you  bend 
all  your  practical  faculties  in  that  direction, 
and  there  abase  the  knee,  the  better  for  you. ' ' 

He  nodded  down  the  table  toward  his  wife, 
and  she  pursed  up  her  lips  and  said,  ^^You 
nice  goose !  That's  the  way  to  keep  us  sweet- 
tempered.  ' ' 

^^I  hope  you're  not  going  to  turn  cynic, 
Dick,"  said  EUery.  '^The  role  does  not  fit 
you." 

^^A  cynic,"  interposed  Mrs.  Lenox,  ^^ al- 
ways thinks  that  he  has  discovered  the 
sourness  of  the  world.  In  reality  all  he  has 
found  is  his  own  bad  digestion.  I  should  hate 
to  think  there  was  anything  on  my  table  to 
cause  acute  indigestion,  Dick. ' ' 

^^  Perhaps  there  is  a  cog  loose  in  his  brain 
so  that  his  wheels  do  not  work  together," 
added  EUery. 

^^At  any  rate,  cynicism  is  self-confessed 
failure;  so  don't  give  way  to  it,"  Mr.  Lenox 
concluded. 

^  ^  Oh,  I  give  up.     Spare  me, ' '  cried  Dick. 

Mrs.  Lenox  rose  with  a  little  nod,  and  as 
Madeline  swept  past  him  towards  the  door, 


EASTER  351 

Dick  turned  for  an  instant  and  stopped  her 
laughingly. 

^^ Forgive  me,"  he  said.  '^I  did  not  mean 
it.    I  felt  like  saying  something  obnoxious." 

''But  you  always  used  to  want  to  be  nice, 
Dick, ' '  she  answered. 

''Miss  Elton,"  Mrs.  Percival  spoke  sev- 
erely, as  a  matron  to  a  heedless  girl,  "per- 
haps the  gentlemen  would  prefer  to  have 
their  smoke  alone.  Are  you  coming  to  the 
drawing-room  with  us?" 

Later,  much  later,  Lena,  in  the  privacy  of 
her  own  room,  awaited  the  coming  of  her 
husband  who  seemed  to  her  to  prolong  out- 
rageously the  game  of  billiards  which  made 
his  excuse  for  sitting  up  a  little  longer  than 
herself.  She  shook  out  her  fluff  of  hair,  and 
arrayed  herself  in  a  bewildering  pink  dress- 
ing-gown from  beneath  which  she  toasted 
some  very  pink  toes  before  the  fire.  She 
knew  what  arguments  told  on  the  masculine 
intellect.    And  at  last  Dick  came. 

"Sit  down  over  there,"  she  commanded. 
"No,  you  shan't  come  near  me,  Dick,  until 
I've  said  my  say.  I'm  really  much  dis- 
pleased, and  you  need  not  act  as  though  you 
thought  it  was  a  trifling  matter. ' ' 

Dick  sat  humbly  in  the  spot  appointed. 


352  JEWEL  WEED 

*'Dick,  I  don't  want  yon  to  say  any  more 
horrid  little  things  about  women.  You've 
done  it  several  times  lately.  The  other  day 
you  said  something  to  Mr.  Early  about  his 
Vglorious  freedom';  and  you  made  a  sneering 
remark  to  Mr.  Preston  about  women's  small 
dishonesties." 

^^Only  jokes,  I  assure  you." 

^'Everybody  knows  that  women  are  a  great 
deal  better  than  men." 

'^They  must  be,"  said  Dick.  ^^ Literature 
is  full  of  statements  to  that  effect." 

^^And  marriage  is  far  more  desirable  than 
^glorious  freedom'." 

'  ^  It  is, "  answered  Dick.  ' '  So  long  as  there 
are  things  to  disagree  about,  marriage  will 
not  lose  its  savor. ' ' 

^'You  say  that  in  a  perfectly  mean  way,  as 
though  you  did  not  really  believe  anything 
nice.  But  whether  you  believe  it  or  not,  I 
am  going  to  ask  you  not  to  talk  so  any  more," 
Mrs.  Percival  went  on  with  dignity,  ^'because 
it  sounds  exactly  like  a  criticism  of  me,  and  I 
think  you  owe  it  to  me  to  treat  me  with 
respect.  What  must  people  think  of  me  when 
you  fling  in ^what  do  you  call  them — in- 
nuendoes like  that  around?" 

Mr.  Percival  looked  at  his  wife  in  silence ; 


EASTER  353 

then  he  piciked  her  up,  chair  and  all,  and 
whirled  her  around  in  front  of  a  long  pier 
glass. 

^ '  Do  you  see  that  ? "  he  demanded. 

Lena  saw  and  dimpled. 

'^Now  I  propose,"  Dick  went  on,  ^^to  carry 
you  down  stairs,  just  as  you  are!  I  shall 
then  arouse  the  whole  household  by  my  shouts 
and  gather  them  around  you ;  and  when  every 
man  jack  of  them  is  there,  I  shall  say  *  Ladies 
and  gentlemen,  is  it  possible  for  a  man  whose 
wife  looks  like  this  to  utter  any  serious  accu- 
sation against  femininity?'  " 

*'Dick,  don't  be  silly,"  said  Lena,  pouting 
with  pleasure,  and  she  glanced  again  at  her- 
self in  the  glass.     ^^I  am  nice,  am  I  not?" 

''Nice!"  ejaculated  Dick,  ''Huyler  and 
Maillard  and  Whitman  and  Lowney,  all  rolled 
into  one  big  candy  man,  never  dreamed  of 
anything  so  sweet.  Did  you  really  think  I 
was  disrespectful?    Why,  little  Lena!" 

Easter  morning  dawned,  a  God-given  splen- 
dor of  blue  and  spring  softness,  and  the  six 
stood,  after  breakfast,  on  the  veranda  and 
looked  at  the  day. 

''Time  and  the  world  are  before  you. 
Choose  how  you  will  spend  the  forenoon," 
said  Mrs.  Lenox. 


354  JEWEL  WEED 

'^I  should  like  to  drive,"  Lena  promptly  re- 
plied. ^^Mr.  Lenox  was  telling  me  last  night 
about  his  new  pair  of  horses.  I  know  he  is 
pining  to  show  them  off. ' ' 

She  east  one  of  her  most  fascinating  glan- 
ces at  her  unmoved  host. 

'^Just  the  thing.  How  shall  we  divide 
up?"  And  Mrs.  Lenox  looked  vaguely 
around. 

*^Miss  Elton  and  I/'  said  Norris  boldly, 
'^are  going  to  row,  just  as  we  used  last  sum- 
mer." 

Madeline  glanced  sidewise  at  him  with  some 
astonishment,  as  he  made  this  radical  state- 
ment, but  although  she  pondered  a  moment, 
she  offered  no  objection.  Dick  also  glanced 
at  him  longingly  as  he  said  ^4ast  summer". 
Our  lives  seem  made  of  little  bits  that  have 
small  relation  with  each  other.  Things  just 
happen.  And  yet,  when  we  look  back  over  a 
long  stretch  we  realize  that  life  is  a  coherent 
whole,  that  it  leads  somewhere,  and  Dick's 
life  had  led  a  long  way  in  the  past  year.  So 
he  too  became  grave  but  said  nothing,  as  he 
resigned  himself  to  a  back  seat  beside  Mrs. 
Lenox  and  watched  Lena  perched  airily  be- 
side her  host. 

^*Now  I  hope  that  matter  will  be  amicably 


EASTER  355 

settled,"  Mrs.  Lenox  began,  looking  with  a 
satisfied  air  at  the  two  unmarried  people  who 
were  starting  toward  the  boat-house. 

^^What!"  Dick  exclaimed  with  a  sudden 
start. 

^'Are  you  a  bat  that  you  can  not  see  day- 
light facts  ? ' '  she  cried,  turning  upon  him. 

**I  dare  say  I  am.'^  And  he  looked  very 
sober.  *'Yes,  I  suppose  it  is  all  right.  Nor- 
ris  is  one  of  those  fellows  who  always  knows 
what  he  wants,  and  just  plods  along  until  he 
gets  it. " 

^'I  said  ^rowV'  EUery  remarked  as  he 
pushed  the  boat  out  from  shore,  *^but  I 
meant  ^loaf  and  invite  the  soul'.  The  sun- 
light is  too  delectable  for  anything  stren- 
uous." 

'^But  inviting  the  soul  is  always  a  solitary 
experience,"  objected  Madeline. 

^^  Perhaps.  But  it  is  delightful  to  know 
that  there  is  a  sister  soul  also  inviting  herself 
close  at  hand.  I  hope  yours  will  accept  the 
invitation.  '  At  home — the  soul  of  Mr.  Ellery 
Norris,  to  meet  the  soul  of  Miss  Madeline 
Elton'." 

A  soft  flush  rose  over  Madeline's  face  and 
she  devoted  herself  to  the  tiller  ropes. 


356  JEWEL  WEED 


C6 


P.S.  Please  come,"  Ellery  went  on  with 
a  laugh.     ^^R.S.V.R" 

*' Aren't  you  ^flouting  old  ends'?"  she 
smiled. 

^*I  hoped  I  was  flouting  new  beginnings," 
he  answered  soberly,  and  he  rowed  languidly 
in  a  silence  which  Madeline  rushed  to  fill. 

**I've  been  thinking  ever  since  last  night 
about  Dick,"  she  said.  ^^He  is  so  different 
from  the  buoyant  creature  of  last  summer. 
And  it  is  only  a  year. ' ' 

*'Well,  perhaps  this  is  a  phase."  He 
rested  on  his  oars  and  looked  at  her.  ' '  Dick 
is  healthy,  and  joy  is  his  normal  state.  He 
ought  to  be  able  to  recover  from  his  malady. ' ' 

^^ Sometimes  I  think  it  is  permanent." 

*'I  am  almost  afraid,  too.  But  you  see  you 
can  not  get  any  bargains  in  the  department 
store  of  this  world.  You  have  to  pay  full 
price  for  everything.  If  you  want  self-indul- 
gence, you  have  to  pay  your  health;  if  you 
want  health,  you  have  to  pay  self-control. 
You  never  pay  less  than  the  value  of  what  you 
get,  and  you  are  often  horribly  over-charged 
for  a  very  inferior  article.  Now  Dick  wanted 
Lena  Quincy.  He  bought  a  little  gratifica- 
tion, and  paid — " 

^^What?" 


EASTEE  357 

^'Everything  he  had,"  answered  Norris 
abruptly.  ''Do  you  think  I  have  not  watched 
his  courage  and  ideals  wither  as  if  they  had 
been  frosted?  He  is  numb.  'Heavy  as 
frost/  Wordsworth  said,  and  that's  the 
weightiest  figure  he  could  find.  It  did  not 
take  her  a  month  to  begin  to  change  him.  In 
three  months  she  has  him  well  started.  Isn't 
it  a  pity  that  the  worse  one  of  the  two  should 
have  the  controlling  force?  But  Dick's  very 
volatility  that  we  love  has  laid  him  open  to 
this  thing." 

"I'm  glad,"  said  Madeline  slowly,  "that  he 
has  his  political  interest. ' ' 

"Yes,  he's  going  into  it  with  a  kind  of 
fury. ' ' 

"Won't  that  give  him  a  big  outlet?" 

"He  may  get  a  lot  of  satisfaction  and  do 
a  really  creditable  thing." 

"Your  tone  does  not  sound  very  hopeful." 

"A  single  interest  in  life  may  accomplish 
more  for  the  world,  but  I  don't  believe  it  is 
very  satisfactory  for  one's  self." 

Madeline  looked  at  him  inquiringly. 

"God  gives  us  of  His  own  creative  power," 
he  said  reverently,  and  there  came  into  his 
very  practical  face  that  dreamy  look  which 
she  had  seen  there  once  or  twice  before.     ' '  He 


358  JEWEL  WEED 

supplies  US  with  the  raw  materials  of  the  uni- 
verse, gold  and  beanty  and  food  and  desire — 
and  love^ — and  He  bids  ns  out  of  these  things 
to  build  a  man.  We  can't  build  a  successful 
man  if  we  use  only  one  ingredient.  We  get  a 
complete  man  only  when  we  use  them  all." 

Madeline  stared  off.  across  the  waters,  and 
EUery  watched  her  over  shipped  oars.  At 
last  he  said,  ^  ^  But  are  you  going  to  think  only 
of  Dick,  and  Dick,  and  Dick  for  ever  ? ' ' 

She  turned  on  him  a  face  flushed  but  utterly 
frank. 

* '  I  know  what  you  are  thinking, ' '  she  said. 
^^But  you  are  mistaken,  quite  mistaken." 
And  she  met  his  eyes  squarely  in  spite  of  her 
heightened  color.  ^^At  this  very  moment  I 
was  thinking  more  of  you  than  of  him,"  she 
added. 

^^And  what  of  me?" 

*'I  was  thinking  how  I  misread  you  at  first. 
I  thought  you  a  kind  of  grub. ' ' 

''And  now?" 

' '  That  you  are  dogged  and  persistent ;  and 
that  therefore  you  stick  to  your  ideals  better 
than  he. ' ' 

''Do  you  know  how  comparatively  easy 
that  is,  even  for  a  plodder,  when  his  ideals  are 
set  up  before  him  in  visible  form,  so  that 


EASTER  359 

he  can  not  forget  them  by  day  or  by  night?  I 
wonder  if  you  can  realize  what  it  means  to 
have  a  face  like  yours  looking  up  from  every 
dirty  strip  of  galley-proof,  and  a  voice  like 
yours  sounding  under  the  rumble  of  the  big 
presses.  It's  something  of  a  possession  for 
an  every-day  man. ' '  A  soft  glow  that  might 
have  been  a  trick  of  the  spring  sun  spread 
over  Madeline's  face.  There  is  no  thought 
more  intoxicating  to  a  girl  than  to  feel  that 
she  stands  to  a  man  for  his  ideals.  A  long 
sweet  silence  fell  between  them,  while  she 
mused  on  this  thing,  and  he  watched  her  in 
tense  anxiety. 

^^ Madeline!"  he  cried,  suddenly  leaning 
forward  and  catching  her  hands.  *^I  must 
tell  you !  You  must  know,  and  I  must  know ! ' ' 

With  the  grasp  of  his  fingers,  the  first  phy- 
sical touch  of  love,  an  electric  pang  seemed  to 
leap  through  the  girl's  body;  and  in  the  flash 
were  shown  to  her  new  heights  and  depths  in 
herself,  and  a  thousand  dim  things  in  the 
future.  She  felt,  in  the  man,  the  revelation 
of  that  mystery  by  which  the  body's  passion 
slips  into  passion  of  the  soul — that  soul-love, 
which  by  its  very  nature  can  never  know  lassi- 
tude nor  revulsion.  And  what  was  actual  in 
him,  grew  radiant  with  possibility  in  herself. 


360  JEWEL  WEED 

She  looked  up  to  meet  Ms  eager  face  and 
his  eyes  like  lamps.  ^'No,  no!"  she  cried. 
^^Don'ttellme." 

^ '  But  do  you  know  without  telling  ? ' ' 

^^I  must  think." 

^'But  surely  you  must  have  read  it  long 
ago." 

^*I  only  glanced  at  it.  I  never  looked  it  in 
the  face." 

^^ Don't  examine  it  too  closely  now,  or  I'm 
afraid  you  will  find  it  a  poor  thing,"  he  said 
whimsically.  ^^Take  it  on  impulse,  Made- 
line." 

But  she  waved  him  away  with  her  hand, 
turning  her  face  to  one  side,  and  leaned  back 
in  her  cushions,  while  EUery  waited,  hardly 
breathing.  There  was  a  deep  hush  on  the 
opal  waters  under  the  April  morning  sky,  and 
no  sound  but  the  far-off  note  of  a  wood- 
thrush. 

^'Madeline!"  he  cried  at  last.  ^^Be  merci- 
ful, and  speak  to  me." 

She  gathered  her  self-possession  and 
turned  to  face  him  with  smiles  and  dimples, 
and  one  swift  look  full  in  the  face. 

^^Mr.  Norris,"  she  said  airily,  and  then 
laughed  as  his  face  fell  at  the  title,  *^we  are 
in  the  middle  of  a  big  sheet  of  water,  and  I 


v{U>. 


''  Surely  you  must  have  read  it  long  ago  "      Page  j6o 


EASTER  361 

do  not  want  yon  to  npset  the  boat;  we  are 
visible  from  many  miles  of  shore,  and  the 
world  and  his  wife  are  driving  and  motoring 
on  this  most  beantifnl  of  days;  bnt  over  on 
our  right  there  is  a  lovely  little  beach,  and  a 
clump  of  willows  that  have  forced  the  season 
a  bit.  Perhaps,  if  we  went  there,  I  might 
listen  to  what  you  have  to  say. ' ' 

^^Oh,  Madeline,  my  Madeline,"  he  said,  ^^I 
can  never  tell  you  because  the  words  are  not 
made  that  will  hold  it,  and  it  will  take  a  life- 
time to  tell  it  all.  But,  if  you  are  willing,  we 
will  make  a  beginning  over  there  by  the  dip- 
ping willows."  He  shot  a  stormy  glance 
at  her  as  he  caught  the  oars,  and  she  met 
it  bravely.  '^Please  don't  trail  your  fingers 
in  the  water,"  he  said.  ^^You  are  delaying 
the  progress  of  the  boat." 

* '  Heaven  forbid  delay ! ' '  she  cried  in  mock 
horror,  and  showered  him  with  the  drops 
from  her  lifted  hand. 

The  keel  grated,  and  EUery  sprang  ashore 
and  held  out  his  arms  to  help  her. 

^^ Madeline,"  he  said,  sternly  holding  her  at 
arm's  length,  ^Hhis  spot  is  so  evidently 
created  for  a  lovers '  bower,  that  I  suspect  you 
of  having  had  your  eye  on  it  for  a  long  time. 
How  did  you  come  to  direct  me  here?" 


362  JEWEL  WEED 

^^ Instinct,"  she  laughed.  ^^That  wonder- 
ful instinct  of  woman. ' ' 

^^  Shall  we  stay  here  for  ever  and  let  the 
world  wag?" 

^^And  live  on  locnsts  and  wild  honey?"  she 
asked. 

^^Yes,  if  you  will  be  my  wild  honey.  I'm 
going  to  begin  to  devour  you  right  away." 
And  he  caught  her  at  last. 

*^Who  gave  you  permission?"  she  whis- 
pered with  cheek  close  to  his. 

^'Who?  Haven't  you  heard  the  universe 
shouting  aloud?  The  sky,  and  the  sun  and 
the  lake  and  the  woods.  They've  been  crying 
^Mine !  Mine !  Mine !'  for  the  last  ten  minutes. 
You'll  never  contradict  them,  sweetheart?" 

^^ Never,"  said  she. 

For  a  long  moment  they  looked  into  each 
other's  eyes,  and  she  read  in  his  that  mastery 
without  tyranny  which  for  some  inexplicable 
reason  sets  a  woman's  heart  beating  with  un- 
imagined  bliss. 

Ten  minutes  later,  or  so  it  seemed,  Made- 
line pulled  his  watch  from  his  pocket  and 
started  in  dismay. 

^^Ellery,"  she  cried,  ^^do  you  know  that  we 
have  been  sitting  here  for  four  hours  ?  What 
will  Mrs.  Lenox  and  all  the  others  think?" 


EASTER  363 

'^WHo  cares  what  they  think?  Let  them 
think  the  truth,  if  their  imaginations  can 
soar  to  that  height." 

^^We  must  hurry  back.'^ 

^^ Don't  you  think  it  is  a  little  brutal  to  in- 
vite a  man  to  leave  Heaven  and  go  back  to 
earth?" 

'^Perhaps  we  need  a  dose  of  the  world. 
Medicine  is  good  for  one. ' ' 

^^Not  unless  he  is  ill;  and  I  was  never  well 
till  now." 

'^Come,  Ellery,  we  really  must  go,"  she 
said  with  severity. 

^^Well,  there's  lunch,"  he  meditated.  ^^I 
confess  that  I  can  view  the  prospect  of 
luncheon  with  something  like  equanimity. 
There  are  certain  advantages  about  the 
world,  iMadeline." 

It  was  long  after  the  driving  party  had  re- 
turned when  Miss  Elton  and  Mr.  Norris 
strolled  up  the  path  from  the  boat-house, 
quite  indifferent  to  the  fact  of  their  lateness. 
Dick  on  the  piazza  watched  their  coming 
and  needed  no  handwriting  on  the  wall.  The 
girl  glowed  and  Ellery  reflected  her  light. 

^^It  would  be  a  perfect  woman  who  should 
unite  her  spirit  with  Lena's  soul-delighting 
body,"  Percival  said  to  himself.    ''And  El- 


364  JEWEL  WEED 

lery  chooses  the  spirit,  and  I,  God  help  me, 
love  and  choose  the  body.  But  I  can  not  bear 
to  meet  them." 

He  was  turning  to  slip  away  when  he  met 
his  wife  face  to  face,  and  stopped  half  in 
curiosity  to  see  what  she  would  notice  and 
hear  what  she  would  say.  Lena,  too,  gazed 
at  the  oblivious  advancing  pair. 

'^Well,  of  all  things!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Per- 
oival.  ^^I  should  think  she'd  feel  pretty 
cheap. ' ' 

^^Why?"  asked  Dick,  startled. 

^^Ooming  down  to  a  nobody  like  that!" 
Lena  retorted  in  scorn.  ^^But  I  think  she 
has  been  going  off  in  her  looks  lately,  and  I 
dare  say  she  knows  it,  and  is  glad  to  get 
even  him. ' ' 

The  billiard  room  was  empty,  and  Dick 
went  in  and  shut  the  door. 


CHAPTEE  XIX 

OEIENTAL   BUSIES 

As  the  months  drifted  into  summer,  young 
Mrs.  Percival  often  felt  very  dull.  She  had 
not  even  the  excitement  of  envy  left  her  for, 
with  the  engagement  of  Miss  Elton  and  Mr. 
Norris,  much  of  her  old  enmity  for  Madeline 
faded.  EUery  looked  to  her  like  a  fate  so 
inferior  to  her  own  that  she  could  afford  to 
drop  her  jealousy;  and  since  Mr.  Early  and 
Dick  were  now  wholly  released  from  thrall, 
she  considered  Madeline  a  creature  too 
inoffensive  to  be  reckoned  an  enemy.  She 
could  even  share  the  tolerant  and  amused 
pleasure  with  which  the  world  surveys  a  love 
match.  This  pair  was  so  evidently  and  rap- 
turously content  that  they  diffused  their  own 
atmosphere.  Lena  could  not  understand  that 
variety  of  love,  but  its  presence  was  patent 
to  her. 

Most  of  the  ^^real  people"  as  Mrs.  Apple- 
ton  called  them,  in  improvement  on  their 

365 


366  JEWEL  WEED 

Maker  ^s  classification,  were  leaving  town 
either  for  the  lake  or  for  some  more  distant 
breathing  place,  but  she  was  tied  at  home, 
first  because  Mrs.  Percival  the  elder,  whom 
Dick  refused  to  desert,  preferred  the  wide 
quiet  of  her  rooms,  and  second  because  Dick 
himself  grew  daily  more  absorbed  in  his  po- 
litical labors. 

Lena  went  to  say  good-by  for  the  summer 
to  Mrs.  Appleton  and  was  bidden  to  come  up 
stairs  to  a  disordered  little  room  where  that 
matron  superintended  a  flushed  maid  busy 
with  packing. 

*^I  am  really  quite  played  out  with  all  this 
turmoil,"  Mrs.  Appleton  sighed.  ^^ Truly, 
dear  Mrs.  Percival,  I  think  you  are  to  be  con- 
gratulated on  staying  at  home.  The  game  is 
not  worth  the  candle. ' ' 

'^I  think,  if  Madame  is  tired,  I  could  finish 
alone."  Marie  lifted  a  face  that  manifested 
hope  from  the  bottom  of  a  trunk,  but  Madame 
shook  her  head.  It  was  one  of  her  princi- 
ples to  see  to  everything  herself  and  so  gain 
the  proud  consciousness  of  utter  exhaustion 
in  doing  her  duty. 

Lena  glanced  enviously  about  the  heaped 
up  gowns  and  lacy  lingerie.  It  made  her  own 
stock  seem  mean. 


OEIENTAL  RUBIES  367 

^^  Perhaps  it  will  amuse  you  to  look  these 
over  while  I  am  busy,"  Mrs.  Appleton  went 
on  good-humoredly,  pushing  a  leather-bound 
case  across  the  table  toward  Lena's  arm. 
Mrs.  Percival  lifted  out  one  little  tray  after 
another  with  growing  sullenness.  The  pro- 
fusion of  jewels  gave  her  no  pleasure.  She 
slammed  the  trays  back  in  place. 

^'Did  Mr.  Appleton  give  you  all  of  these? '^ 
she  demanded. 

^^Yes.  Isn't  he  generous?  But  he  says 
that  my  type  of  beauty  is  one  that  can  stand 
lavish  decoration." 

^^He's  certainly  more  free  than  Dick," 
Lena  said  with  bald  envy,  reviewing  her  own 
small  store  that  a  few  short  months  ago  had 
seemed  to  her  like  the  wealth  of  Ormus  and 
of  Ind. 

^ '  My  dear, ' '  Mrs.  Appleton  exclaimed  with 
a  self-conscious  laugh,  ^^you  can  hardly  ex- 
pect Dick  Percival  to  rival  Humphrey." 

Mrs.  Percival  felt  bitterly  her  friend's  lofti- 
ness of  position.  It  was  of  course  impossible 
for  a  woman  to  feel  superior  to  what  she 
owns  and  Mrs.  Appleton  owned  more  and 
always  would  own  more  than  Lena  Percival. 
'^Do  you  know,  my  love,"  Mrs.  Appleton  pur- 
sued, ^^I  think  your  husband  is  making  a 


368  JEWEL  WEED 

great  mistake  in  going  in  for  petty  politics. 
With  his  pull,  and  his  fair  amount  of  capital 
to  start  with,  he  ought  to  be  able  to  make  a 
fortune.     He's  just  throwing  his  life  away." 

^ '  Don 't  you  suppose  I  know  it  ? "  Lena  cried 
tearfully.  ^^I've  told  him  so  a  hundred 
times.  He's  just  crazy  over  these  nasty  little' 
things.  He's  willing  to  sacrifice  anything  to 
get  the  place  of  ward  alderman  away  from 
some  miserable  Swede.  Think  of  me  tied  in 
town  all  summer ! ' ' 

^^I  wouldn't  stand  it,"  Mrs.  Appleton  an- 
swered absently,  her  eyes  on  Marie,  stuflBng 
tissue  paper  in  a  sleeve.  ^  ^  A  woman  has  such 
influence  on  her  husband.  Take  matters  in 
your  own  hands,  my  dear. ' ' 

Lena,  rebellious  at  heart,  found  her  only 
diversion  in  occasional  week-ends  at  other 
people's  country  houses,  or  in  long  flights  by 
evening  in  Dick's  motor.  Her  husband  was 
self-absorbed  and  often  silent,  another  per- 
son, as  she  frequently  and  querulously  rubbed 
into  him,  from  the  ardent  creature  of  a  few 
months  before. 

Sometimes  he  made  attempts  to  open  to  her 
his  subjects  of  thought,  but  Lena  never  at- 
tempted to  understand  things  that  did  not 
interest  her,  and  now  that  she  was  safely 


ORIENTAL  EUBIES  369 

married,  it  was  too  miicli  trouble  to  make 
much  pretense  at  it;  so  she  was  often  alone, 
and  frequently  bored. 

Even  Mr.  Early  was  away  most  of  the  time, 
and  the  great  blank  eyes  of  closed  windows 
blinked  down  at  her  from  his  closed  house  be- 
yond the  dividing  hedge  that  flanked  the  gar- 
den. His  place  stood  on  a  corner,  and  on 
the  two  sides  that  fronted  the  streets,  Sebas- 
tian had  hidden  the  wonders  of  his  terraces 
and  trimmed  trees  by  high  walls,  but  toward 
the  Percivals  he  had  been  less  exclusive. 
Most  of  the  houses  in  St.  Etienne,  like  their 
own,  had  no  property  dividing  line,  but  lawn 
melted  into  lawn  with  a  park-like  openness 
that  hinted  at  communistic  kindliness.  This 
had  its  disadvantages  in  lack  of  privacy,  and 
hence  it  was  that  in  spite  of  quite  an  exten- 
sive demesne,  Lena  found  in  her  own  garden 
no  spot  absolutely  hidden  from  curious  eyes 
of  passers,  except  in  one  thicket  of  trees  and 
shrubbery  over  near  the  Early  boundary. 
Here  there  was  seclusion,  and  here,  therefore, 
young  Mrs.  Percival  had  her  hammock  and 
her  group  of  chairs  and  tables;  and  here  she 
spent  long  indolent  afternoons  in  sleepy  read- 
ing and  sleepier  dreaming,  which  was  only 
less  agreeable  than  the  social  triumphs  of 


370  JEWEL  WEED 

which  she  dreamed.  And  yet  she  often  found 
herself  weary  of  nothing,  and  wished  she  had 
some  one  exactly  to  her  taste  to  keep  her  com- 
pany and  talk  to  her  abont  little  things  in  that 
^^fool's  paradise  of  laziness"  where,  it  is  said, 
Satan  is  entertainer  in  chief.  Once  in  a 
while,  on  his  brief  home-stays,  Mr.  Early 
illuminated  her  retreat  with  his  presence. 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  summer,  certain 
business  interests  called  Dick  to  North  Da- 
kota, and  then  life  was  duller  than  ever. 

Therefore  it  was  a  not  wholly  unwelcome 
diversion  when,  late  on  an  August  afternoon, 
she  saw  the  thick  laurels  of  the  hedge  near 
her  part  a  little  and  the  form  of  Eam  Juna 
stand  in  the  cleft,  snowy  white  from  turban 
to  slippers  save  for  the  gleaming  ruby  and 
the  polished  bronze  face.  He  looked  like  the 
day  itself,  glowing,  sultry,  indolent. 

^^ Pardon  me,  dear  lady,"  he  said,  ^'that 
through  the  bush  I  spied  you.  I  was  soli- 
tary. You  are  solitary.  The  heat  suits  not 
with  the  severer  thought.  The  weak  body 
refuses  to  yield  to  the  commands  of  mind. 
I  fail  to  write ;  and  perhaps  you  fail  to  read. ' ' 

'^I  guess  your  thinking  is  harder  work 
than  my  reading.  Won't  you  come  over  and 
sit  down?"  said  Lena  cordially. 


ORIENTAL  RUBIES  371 

^^Then  yon,  like  me,  would  welcome  com- 
panionship 1 ' ' 

^^Yes.  Isn't  this  a  nice  shady  place?" 
Lena  answered.  '^The  maid  is  just  bringing 
me  some  iced  drinks,  and  I  dare  say  they'll 
taste  good  to  you  if  you  have  been  trying  to 
write  that  wonderful  book  of  yours  in  all  this 
blaze. ' ' 

The  Hindu  pushed  the  hedge  still  farther 
asunder  and  swept  with  a  sigh  of  content  over 
to  a  cushioned  reclining  chair. 

'  ^  If  one 's  heart  were  set  on  the  things  that 
fade,  what  greater  satisfaction?  Shadow, 
deep  shadow  from  the  heat,  cool  drafts,  the 
voice  of  a  fair  woman. ' ' 

^^You  must  not  coant  me  among  the  things 
that  fade,  though,"  laughed  Lena,  as  she 
handed  him  a  tall  glass  of  clinking  fragrance. 
' '  1  shan  't  like  you  a  bit  if  you  do. ' ' 

^^  Everything  fades,  the  rose,  the  lady,  even 
thought,  which  is  after  all  but  a  grub  on  the 
tree  of  truth.    All,  all  fade. ' ' 

^^I  wish  you  wouldn't  talk  that  way,"  ob- 
jected Lena.  ^^You  make  me  feel  quite 
creepy. ' ' 

'^Ah,"  said  Ram  Juna,  ''you  love  the 
things  of  to-day.  To  me  the  thought  that  all 
is  transitory  is  bliss.    Is  it  not  so?" 


372  JEWEL  WEED 

*^Yes/^  said  Lena,  ^^I'm  sure  I  like  roses 
and  jewels  and  iced  minty  stuff  to  drink. 
And  Earn  Juna,  I  wish  you  would  tell  me 
the  really-truly  history  of  your  ruby.  I've 
heard  so  many  stories  about  it."  He  put 
up  his  hand,  detached  the  great  jewel  from 
its  place  and  laid  it  in  her  small  outstretched 
palm. 

^^That  is  a  mark  of  my  confiding,"  he  said. 
^^  There  are  few  to  whom  I  would  give  to 
handle  my  treasure.  It  may  truly  be  called 
a  stone  of  blood.  Such  angry  storms  of 
greed  and  passion,  such  murders  of  father  by 
son  and  husband  by  wife  link  their  story  to  it. 
And  now  it  rests  at  last  on  the  head  of  a  man 
of  peace.  For  how  long?  For  how  long?" 
Lena  looked  at  it  with  the  eyes  of  fascina- 
tion as  it  lay  in  her  open  hand. 

*^It  charms  you  like  a  serpent?"  asked  her 
companion,  leaning  forward  with  indolent 
amusement.  ^^You  are  true  woman.  You 
love  the  glitter.  Would  you  like  to  see 
others?" 

^^Have  you  others?"  cried  Lena.  ^'Oh  — 
oh,  I  should  like  to  see  them!"  He  rose, 
made  her  a  salaam  of  grace,  parted  the  hedge 
once  more  and  disappeared  only  to  return 
bringing  in  his  hands  a  curious  box  of  carven 


ORIENTAL  RUBIES  373 

ivory,  which  he  set  on  the  table  between  them 
and  proceeded  to  unlock  with  a  key  of  quaint 
device. 

Lena  gave  a  cry  of  rapture  and  astonish- 
ment as  the  lid  fell  back.  Ram  Juna  laid  his 
hand  on  her  arm. 

^* Silence!"  he  commanded,  '^ would  it  be 
well  that  the  flippant  public  who  pass  near  at 
hand  on  the  pavement  should  know  that  there 
are  such  treasures  in  this  thicket?" 

*^I  did  not  know  that  there  was  so  much 
splendor  in  the  world,"  whispered  Lena  in 
admiration. 

^^ Rubies  —  all  rubies!  They  were  the 
stones  beloved  of  my  ancestors.  This  dan- 
gled once  on  the  neck  of  a  maha-ranee,  more 
beautiful  than  itself,  only,  unfortunately,  she 
lost  her  neck,  murdered  by  a  rival  queen." 

He  twisted  the  string  of  gems  about  her 
arm,  bare  to  the  elbow,  and  Lena  gasped  with 
pleasure. 

^^Let  me  add  this  bracelet  —  a  serpent. 
See  of  curious  carved  gold  the  scales,  and 
the  eyes  again  two  wicked  rubies  to  beguile 
men's  souls.  Yet  it  becomes  the  arm,  does  it 
not?  Look,  at  your  pleasure,  at  the  rest  of 
the  box."  I) 

He  pushed  the     ise  toward  her  and  Lena 


374  JEWEL  WEED 

began  to  finger  its  profuse  contents  with  occa- 
sional sighs  of  envious  delight  and  glances  at 
her  white  flesh  enhanced  by  its  ornaments. 
Ram  Juna  sat  in  silence. 

*^How  do  you  dare  to  carry  such  things 
around  with  youT'  she  asked. 

*^Not  much  longer,"  he  answered  with  a 
shrug.  ^^To  me  they  are  delusions  inappro- 
priate. I  see  that  is  your  thought.  Is  it  not 
so?  What  have  I  to  do  with  necklaces  and 
rings  of  princesses?  I  had  forgotten  that  I 
had  them,  until  a  chance  thought  recalled  it. 
I  had  long  since  meant  to  sell  them  and  give 
the  money  to  the  great  cause  for  which  I 
labor.  That  is  my  treasure,  is  it  not?  I 
shall  never  take  them  back  to  India.  I  must 
hasten  to  get  rid  of  them,  for  I  purpose  to 
return  there  at  once." 

^^Why,  are  you  going  away?" 

^^  To-morrow  I  leave  this  city.  My  work 
here  is  done.  It  is  the  last  of  work.  Here- 
after I  shall  find  some  solitary  spot  and  end 
my  life  in  meditations.  And  the  rubies  —  I 
might  give  them  away ;  but  perhaps  the  trifle 
I  should  receive  for  them  would  help  the 
Brothers  in  their  service.  I  shall  not  ex- 
pect or  wish  their  value. " 

^ '  Oh,  I  wish  I  might  bu ..  some  of  them ! ' ' 


OEIENTAL  EUBIES  375 

'  ^  Why  not  ?  No  lady  could  wear  them  with 
greater  dignity.  Young,  beautiful,  beloved, 
and  clothed  with  jewels.  It  is  the  frame  for 
the  picture,  Madame." 

'^Oh!''  said  Lena. 

^^To  you,  whom  I  reverence,  they  should 
cost  but  a  trifle." 

^  *  How  much  ? ' '  gasped  Lena. 

'^The  necklace,  now,"  said  Earn  Juna,  and 
he  leaned  over  and  twisted  it  about  her  arm 
as  he  seemed  to  hesitate,  ^^I  would  give  you 
that  for  five  thousand  dollars  —  and  you  can 
see  that  it  is  worth  —  ah,  I  know  not  how 
many  times  that  sum.  I  do  not  understand 
these  things." 

^*But  my  husband  is  away,  and  I  have  not 
any  thing  like  that  sum.  Besides,  I  could  not 
buy  it  without  asking  him,  you  know.  Oh,  I 
should  like  it!" 

^^Bah,  it  is  a  trifle  to  a  lady  in  your  po- 
sition. You  could  in  many  ways  raise  so 
paltry  an  amount.  I  can  not,  unfortunately, 
give  you  time  to  deliberate."  He  was  speak- 
ing very  rapidly  with  many  gestures,  quite 
unlike  his  usual  calm.  ^*I  tell  you  I  return 
to  India  without  delay.  If  you  would  wish 
those  beautiful  things  you  must  hasten — to- 
day.    Any  person,  I  think,  would  lend  you 


376  JEWEL  WEED 

sucli  money.  Mr.  Early  —  ah,  yes  —  Mr. 
Early.'' 

''Mr.  Early  is  away,  isn't  he?" 

Lena  was  growing  confused.  She  turned 
the  glittering  string  around  and  around  on 
her  arm,  and  her  heart  was  big  with  foolish 
longing.  The  necklace  seemed  the  only  thing 
in  life  worth  while.  Eam  Juna's  quick  move- 
ments and  urgent  words  quite  took  away  her 
powers  of  reasoning. 

''Mr.  Early?  Yes.  He  returned  this 
morning.  Shall  I  tell  you  a  great  secret, 
Madame  ?  A  man  loves  the  one  for  whom  he 
does  a  favor.  Would  it  not  be  wise  to  let 
Mr.  Early  do  this  thing  for  you?  I  know  he 
will  lend  you  without  question.  It  will  here- 
after bind  him  to  you.  See.  I  make  the  ar- 
rangements with  him  myself.  Ladies  know 
nothing  of  business,  and  I  not  much.  But  I 
talk  with  him,  he  understands,  and  I  make  all 
smooth.  Will  you?  Shall  I?  Yes  or  no? 
Do  not  lose  such  a  treasure  by  hesitancy. 
Your  husband  shall  thank  you  when  he 
comes  again.  Yes?  See  the  sunlight  comes 
through  the  trees  and  makes  the  rubies  like 
itself." 

' '  Oh,  if  Mr.  Early  would, ' '  said  Lena.  ' '  I 
don't  see  why  I  shouldn't.    And  if  Mr.  Per- 


ORIENTAL  EUBIES  377 

cival  thinks  I  can't  afford  it,  the  rubies  are 
worth  more  than  I  paid  for  them  anyway." 

^^You  are  reasonable.  Hold  it.  I  trust 
you  while  I  go  to  see  Mr.  Early,  and  return. 
The  necklace  is  yours,  beautiful  lady." 

Eam  Juna  was  awakened  from  his  usual 
serenity  and  full  of  tiger-like  restlessness. 
Again  he  plunged  through  the  hedge,  and 
Lena  saw  the  white  turban  flying  toward  the 
house.  Even  Mr.  Early  looked  around  star- 
tled as  his  usually  torpid  guest  burst  into  the 
little  den. 

'^Hello!"hesaid.    ^^What'sup?" 

* '  Early,  I  bring  you  opportunity,  the  great- 
est of  gifts.  The  favor  I  shall  confer,  is  it 
less  than  the  favor  I  have  received  from 
you?" 

^^What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Sebastian. 

^^Once  you  say  that  you  will  give  much  to 
get  the  young  Percival  in  your  power." 

^^Yes.    What  of  it?" 

^^It  is  done." 

A  look  of  real  interest  began  to  illuminate 
Mr.  Early 's  face.     ' '  Well  ?"  he  said  sharply. 

^^I  have  rubies  —  rubies  to  lure  the  heart 
of  a  woman  from  her  bosom.  Madame,  the 
young  wife  would  give  her  soul  —  if  she  but 
had  one.     That  is  too  hard.    Let  her  give  her 


378  JEWEL  WEED 

note."  The  Swami  laughed  gently.  '^Yon 
would  lend  her  five  thousand  dollars,  mj 
friend,  to  buy  rubies  from  me.  That  is  an 
empty  show.  She  gives  you  the  note.  I 
give  her  the  necklace  that  she  must  have. 
That  is  all.  There  is  no  need  to  give  me 
money.    I  return  your  hospitality  thus." 

^^  Well,  suppose  I  did  all  this.  Dick  Perci- 
val  could  easily  discharge  his  wife's  debt." 

^^Not  so  fast.  Not  so  fast.  The  young 
wife  is  a  fool  as  well  as  a  knave.  To  the 
note  she  shall  sign  her  husband's  name. 
That  I  will  bring  to  pass.  But  you  know 
nothing  of  this.  Of  course  not.  You  sup- 
pose that  the  signature  is  genuine.  You  are 
unaware  that  Percival  is  out  of  town.  And 
I  —  if  I  am  guilty — ^I  am  with  my  guilty 
knowledge  in  the  hut  in  the  mountains  of 
India.  Do  you  not  think  that  while  you  hold 
that  note  young  Percival  will  gladly  serve 
you  in  any  fashion  that  you  may  choose, 
rather  than  that  so  foolish  a  piece  of  wife's 
knavery  should  come  abroad  ? ' ' 

'^Gee  whizz!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Early,  gazing 
at  the  simple  seeker  after  truth,  whose  face 
shone  with  a  radiant  smile.  '^Gree  whizz! 
Ram  Juna,  but  you  are  a  business  man !  But 
she  won't  sign  her  husband's  name." 


OEIENTAL  RUBIES  379 

Ram  Juna's  smile  expanded  cheerfully. 

**Let  that  remain  to  me.  You  have  but  to 
play  your  part,"  he  said. 

Mr.  Early  thought  hard  for  a  moment. 

*^ There  is  need  to  haste,''  said  the  Swami 
gently.  '*She  is  now  in  the  garden  where 
access  is  easy.  Make  the  note.  I  will  take 
it  to  her  to  sign.     Hasten,  my  friend." 

Mr.  Early  drew  toward  him  pen  and  ink. 

**It's  a  little  flyer,  and  there  may  be  some- 
thing in  it,"  he  said.  '*I  don't  see  that  I 
get  into  trouble  any  way.  But  see  here, 
Swami,  you  deserve  something  for  your  work. 
I'm  not  going  to  see  you  lose  that  five  thous- 
and. When  you  bring  me  this  I  0  U  with 
Dick  Percival's  signature,  I'll  give  you  my 
check  for  the  amount.    Understand?" 

^*Be  that  as  you  will,"  said  the  Hindu,  and 
he  caught  the  piece  of  paper  and  fled  toward 
the  thicket  where  Lena  still  played  with  her 
toy. 

^^Have  I  not  told  you?"  he  began  suavely. 
''The  necklace,  less  fair  than  its  owner,  is 
yours.  But  one  moment.  Will  you  first  do 
me  a  favor?" 

He  lifted  the  great  white  turban  from  his 
hot  forehead  and  set  it  on  the  table  before  her. 

''A  simple  bit  of  the  skill  of  my  country," 


380  '  JEWEL  WEED 

he  said.  ^^Will  you  look  fixedly  into  tHe 
great  ruby  that  remains  mine  I  And,  as  you 
look,  will  you  yield  your  mind  to  me,  and  let 
me  show  you  a  vision  ?  So —  even  deeper  let 
your  eyes  penetrate  to  the  heart  of  the  jewel. 
Deeper  and  yet  deeper/' 

He  made  a  swift  motion  or  two  before  her, 
and  her  eyes  grew  fixed. 

''What  do  you  see?" 

''Myself,"  she  answered. 

"Naturally.  What  else  could  you  ever 
see?  But  you  are  different.  You  are  a 
thousand  times  more  beautiful.  The  world 
lies  at  your  feet.  It  is  a  world  of  adulation. 
Do  you  see  this?" 

"Yes." 

"Very  well.  Now  look  away.  We  must 
not  longer  see  the  beautiful  picture.  You 
remember  we  have  business.  Mr.  Early, 
your  friend,  and  my  friend,  will  lend  you 
money.  But  how  are  you  to  repay  him? 
You  have  nothing  of  your  own.  It  must  be 
your  husband  who  secures  you.  In  the  front 
of  the  book  which  you  are  reading  it  is  writ- 
ten 'Eichard  Pereival'.  You  will  copy  this 
with  your  utmost  care,  here  on  this  paper. 
Ah,  for  you  it  is  not  hard  to  do  this  thing. 
For  some  it  would  be  hard  to  persuade  them. 


ORIENTAL  EUBIES  381 

You  make  but  a  poor  copy.  That  is  of  in- 
difference. I  will  return  this  to  Mr.  Early. 
You  will  await  me  here. ' ' 

The  August  afternoon  was  closing,  and 
the  shadows  grew  strong  here  where  vines 
knit  the  trees  into  close  brotherhood.  Lena 
lay  back  in  her  chair  and  clutched  her  treas- 
ure in  a  kind  of  stupor,  until,  in  an  incredibly 
short  time  Eam  Juna  again  appeared,  tuck- 
ing a  scrap  of  yellow  paper  into  some  inner 
pouch  as  he  came.  The  Buddha  _  smile  still 
played  about  his  lips.  He  seated  himself  on 
the  ground  and  stared  unblinkingly  at  the 
girl,  and  she  gazed  almost  as  fixedly  back, 
except  that  once  in  a  while  her  eyes  wandered 
to  the  big  red  stone  which  still  hung  in  the 
turban  on  the  table.  Ten  minutes  —  fifteen 
minutes  —  they  sat  in  silence,  as  though  the 
Swami  enjoyed  the  experience,  then  the 
bronze  man  rose  and  moved  slowly  toward 
her. 

^' Awake!"  he  whispered.  '^You  must 
never  forget  that  you  wrote  your  husband's 
name  when  you  had  not  the  right.  Ah,  in 
India,  our  knaves  are  not  also  fools." 

There  was  a  sudden  sharp  noise  and  a  cry 
in  the  garden  behind  the  hedge;  and  the 
Swami  leaped  into  attention  with  the  swift 


382  JEWEL  WEED 

motionlessness  of  a  wild  animal.  Lena 
ronsed  herself  heavily  and  blinked  about. 
There  was  no  Swami  to  be  seen.  His  turban 
lay  on  the  table,  but  he  himself  had  disap- 
peared in  a  twinkling.  She  heard  a  rush  of 
feet  and  voices  raised  in  excitement  and  then 
a  sharp  command.  Even  while  she  listened, 
confused,  a  blue-coated  starred  man  appeared 
at  the  opening  in  the  hedge  and  over  his 
shoulder  she  saw  Mr.  Early's  face,  startled 
out  of  its  decorum  into  bewildered  anxiety. 

^^Beg  pardon,  miss,"  said  the  officer. 
^'Have  you  seen  anything  of  that  nigger 
preacher  ? ' ' 

' '  The  Swami  ? ' '  asked  Lena. 

The  man  nodded. 

^^He  was  here  a  moment  ago  —  at  least  I 
think  he  was.  I  —  I'm  not  sure.  And  he 
seems  to  have  gone  away.  I  don't  know 
where  he  is."     She  looked  vaguely  around. 

''Left  this  in  his  hurry,  I  guess,"  said  the 
man,  taking  possession  of  the  turban.  ''He 
must  be  hiding  somewhere  near.  With  your 
permission,  I  will  search  the  house,  miss," 
and  he  moved  off  without  waiting  for  the 
said  permission. 

"Mrs.  Percival,"  said  Mr.  Early. 

"Beg  pardon,  Mrs.   Percival,"   the  man 


ORIENTAL  RUBIES  383       ' 

threw  back  with  an  added  air  of  respect.  ^*It 
is  an  unpleasant  duty,  ma'am,  but  you'U  not 
object,  I  know."  He  beckoned  sharply  to 
two  or  three  others  who  stood  behind  Mr. 
Early,  and  turned  toward  the  open  door. 

''What  does  all  this  mean,  Mr.  Early?" 
Lena  gasped. 

He  tumbled  as  if  exhausted  into  the  same 
easy  chair  that  Ram  Juna  had  occupied  a  few 
moments  before. 

''I  am  completely  staggered,"  he  ex- 
claimed. ''The  police  seem  to  think  they 
have  reason  to  suspect  my  guest  of  being  im- 
plicated with  a  gang  of  counterfeiters.  In 
fact  they  say  that  it  is  his  extraordinary  cun- 
ning of  hand  that  produced  the  bills  that  have 
been  appearing  everywhere.  And  —  great 
heavens!  —  he  used  my  house  as  —  as  —  as 
a  fence!  My  house!  Pardon  me,  my  dear 
Mrs.  Percival,  but  I  am  horribly  upset. 
They've  found  dies  and  all  kinds  of  queer 
things  in  the  little  room  that  he  kept  sacred 
to  his  meditations.  But  of  course  I  can't  be 
suspected  of  knowing.  Why,  all  my  servants 
can  bear  testimony  to  the  fact  that  I  know 
nothing  about  that  room. ' ' 

"Of  course,  Mr.  Early,  no  one  would  think 
of  accusing  you. ' ' 


384  JEWEL  WEED 

*^  Still,  my  house,  you  know  —  and  my 
friend.  It's  horrible!"  In  fact  Mr.  Early 
was  shivering  as  though  he  had  the  ague. 
^^It  would  drive  me  mad  if  any  one  should 
think  —  why,  Mrs.  Pereival,  think  of  the 
scandal  of  having  him  with  me  for  months. 
Of  course,  if  they  catch  him,  I'll  make  him 
clear  me  at  once.  But,  take  it  how  you  will, 
it  is  awful.  The  least  I  can  expect  is  to  be 
laughed  at  over  the  whole  civilized  world  for 
being  his  dupe.  I've  always  prided  myself 
on  my  clean  skirts.  You  think  I'm  raving, 
Mrs.  Pereival.  I  am  nearly  mad."  Mr. 
Early  suddenly  leaped  up  with  horror  newly 
reborn  in  his  eyes.  ^^And  I  had  just  given 
him  a  large  check.  That  is  bound  to  look  bad. 
There  is  no  knowing  how  it  may  be  mis- 
construed. Great  heavens,  what  am  I  to 
do?" 

Lena  flushed. 

*^I'm  afraid  that  check  was  for  me,"  she 
said.  *  *  Mr.  Early,  I  want  to  thank  you  —  for 
—  for  being  so  generous  to  me;  and  when 
Dick  comes  back  from  North  Dakota,  he  will 
repay  you  at  once. ' ' 

Mr.  Early  caught  himself  up  and  remem- 
bered that  he  had  a  part  to  play  in  the  present 
drama. 


OEIENTAL  EUBIES  385 

^^Wlien  Dick  comes  back,"  he  said  in  a  stu- 
pefied way,  '^what  do  you  mean  by  ^when 
Dick  comes  back'?  Isn't  he  here  now? 
Why,  he  must  be.  It  isn't  an  hour  since  he 
signed — " 

'^Didn't  you  know  he  was  away?"  asked 
Lena  timidly,  her  heart  sinking,  for  Mr. 
Early's  tone  was  sharp. 

^*I  certainly  thought  he  signed  a  note  made 
out  to  me.  Was  it  another  piece  of  the 
Swami's  clever  forgery?" 

^  ^  He  —  I  — "  cried  poor  Lena  in  confusion. 
^^Oh,  Mr.  Early,  do  you  call  it  forgery? — ^my 
own  husband's  name?  Oh,  I  —  oh,  Mr. 
Early,  what  are  you  thinking?"  At  this 
moment  she  was  the  picture  of  confused  inno- 
cence. 

Mr.  Early  looked  at  her  and  gave  a  long- 
drawn  breath  of  astonishment. 

^^I  understand,"  he  said  at  last,  while  Lena 
hung  her  head.  ^'You  wrote  Dick's  name 
for  him,  and  he  knows  nothing  about  it. 
Well,  let  it  go  at  that.  It  is  a  matter  of  no 
consequence.  And,  my  dear  Mrs.  Percival, 
I  would  suggest  that  this  matter  be  kept  a 
secret  between  you  and  me.  We'll  never 
mention  the  debt  again.  I'm  sure  you  will 
accept  the  rubies  as  a  little  gift  from  one  of 


386  JEWEL  WEED 

the  most  humble  of  yonr  admirers."  He 
bent  forward  and  kissed  her  finger-tips  in 
his  most  gallant  manner. 

'^Oh,  Mr.  Early,  you  are  so  good!'^ 
Lena's  voice  expressed  manifest  relief.  The 
memory  came  back  to  her  of  what  Earn  Juna 
had  said  about  the  bond  created  by  favor.  It 
flashed  into  her  mind,  ^ '  He  thinks  it  is  sweet 
and  innocent  and  womanly  in  me  to  do  such  a 
thing  in  ignorance.  Dick  would  think  so,  too. 
How  should  I  know?" 

^^But  suppose  Dick  shouldn't  like  to  have 
me  take  them  from  you,  such  a  magnificent 
gift?" 

^'I  would  suggest,"  Mr.  Early's  manner 
was  regaining  some  of  its  self-possession, 
' '  that  you  speak  of  the  necklace  —  is  that  it 
in  your  hand  ?  a  really  wonderful  thing,  with 
curious  settings,  carved  by  hand  —  as  I  was 
saying,  I  would  suggest  that  you  speak  of  it 
as  a  gift  from  the  Swami,  who,  as  is  well 
known,  was  much  impressed  by  your  charms. 
A  present  from  such  a  creature,  who  hardly 
comes  into  the  category  of  ordinary  men, 
would  create  no  such  remark  as  might  a  gift 
from  me.  Do  you  not  see?  We  will  let  the 
truth  remain  a  little  secret  between  us  two. 
I  have  an  idea  that  we  shall  not  be  likely  to 


OEIENTAL  EUBIES  387 

see  Earn  Juna  again.  I  fancy  he  is  a  fellow 
of  greater  cunning  than  any  of  us  dreamed ; 
and  if  he  has  a  little  start  of  the  detectives, 
I  doubt  if  they  have  so  much  as  a  glimpse  of 
his  heels;  though,  to  be  sure,  he  is  rather  a 
marked  figure,  and  difficult  to  disguise.  Now 
don't  forget.  The  Swami,  with  oriental  pro- 
fuseness,  gave  you  the  rubies." 

*^You  are  a  dear,"  gushed  Lena.  '^Oh,  I 
do  hope  he  is  gone!"  After  all,  it  was  a  re- 
lief that  Dick  should  not  know. 

^'One  favor  I  must  ask,  my  dear  Mrs.  Per- 
cival, ' '  Mr.  Early  went  on  hesitatingly.  ' '  If, 
by  any  chance,  Dick  should  ever  come  to  know 
of  this,  will  you  assure  him  that  I  supposed 
his  signature  to  be  genuine  ?  I  wouldn  't  have 
him  suspect  that  I  —  that  I  was  a  party  —  or 
at  least  that  I  knew  that  you  wrote  it  for  him. 
For  really,  little  woman,  it  wasn't  strictly 
honest,  you  know." 

^^I'm  afraid  it  wasn't,"  Lena  confessed 
with  charming  blushes.  '^But  I  didn't  think. 
I  don't  know  much  about  such  things,  you 
know." 

^^Of  course  you  don't.  No  nice  woman 
does,"  said  Mr.  Early  comfortingly.  ^^And 
now  let  us  forget  it." 

^^Here  come  the  officers,"  said  Lena. 


388  JEWEL  WEED 

^'It  ain't  no  use,"  said  the  captain  dis- 
gustedly. '^He's  given  us  the  slip,  somehow. 
And  we'd  watched  the  house  and  made  sure 
we  'd  nab  him. ' ' 

*^What  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  Mr. 
Early. 

^^Take  his  kit,  and  set  guards  and  send 
telegraph  descriptions  of  him  in  all  direc- 
tions. 'Taint  likely  he  can  get  clean  away. 
He'll  be  a  marked  man  wherever  he  goes." 

^^If  there  is  anything  I  can  do  to  help  you," 
said  Mr.  Early  grandiloquently,  ^^you  can 
command  me,  though  you  may  imagine  that  it 
is  very  offensive  to  me  to  be  mixed  up  in  this 
kind  of  affair. ' ' 

''Well,  rather,"  said  the  ofBcer  dryly. 
Then,  seeing  the  flush  rising  on  Mr.  Early's 
face,  he  went  on  with  the  patronage  of  the 
majesty  of  the  law:  ''You  needn't  fear  that 
you'll  suffer  any  personal  inconvenience. 
We  've  had  you  under  surveillance  for  a  long 
time  —  ever  since  we  began  to  suspect  your 
nigger  friend;  and  we  know  you  are  all 
right."  But  the  assurance  seemed  to  add 
to  Mr.  Early's  discomfiture.  "Looks  as  if 
it  was  going  to  blow  up  a  storm.  A  dark 
night  would  be  a  good  thing  for  him  and  a 
nuisance  to  us.    But  we'll  catch  him  sure." 


ORIENTAL  RUBIES  389 

They  were  gone,  and  Lena  lingered  a  mo- 
ment, fastening  her  dearly-bought  bauble 
around  her  neck  and  gathering  her  books, 
while  a  maid  came  scudding  from  the  house 
to  bundle  rugs  and  cushions  away  in  face  of 
the  thunder-heads  looming  in  the  southwest. 
A  sudden  sibilant  sound  brought  Lena  to  at- 
tention. 

' '  Mrs.  Percival ! ' '  she  heard.    ' '  Look  up. ' ' 

Among  the  branches  over  her  head  the 
leaves  were  drawn  so  closely  together  that 
only  a  few  faint  glimmers  of  white  showed, 
and  the  brilliant  eyes  that  glared  down  at  her 
were  the  most  conspicuous  things  she  saw. 

^^ Listen  and  reply  not,"  he  said.  '^You 
will  bring  a  dark  and  large  great-coat,  and 
other  dark  garments  that  you  can  find,  and 
leave  them  here  with  swiftness  and  secrecy. 
I  command  you.  If  you  do  not  obey,  I  will 
make  it  the  worse  for  you. ' ' 

He  snarled  suddenly,  and  Lena  jumped 
back  as  though  a  tiger  had  sprung  at  her 
throat. 

The  face  disappeared  among  the  leaves, 
and  Lena  sped  toward  the  house,  hastened  by 
a  crash  of  thunder  and  a  few  great  drops, 
that  seemed  to  her  frightened  imagination 
like  the  servants  of  the  savage  creature  that 


390  JEWEL  WEED 

she  had  left  in  the  tree-tops.  She  slipped  out 
again,  in  spite  of  wind  and  rain,  obedient  to 
his  command,  and  as  she  dropped  her  bundle 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree  trunk,  she  whispered, 

*^I  hope,  oh,  I  hope  that  you  will  get 
away ! ' '  But  she  heard  no  reply.  The  storm 
came  down  and  the  night  fell,  seamed  with 
lightning. 

Lena  quietly  ate  her  dinner,  and  listened  to 
the  well-bred  calm  voice  of  her  mother-in-law 
as  she  wondered  what  Dick  was  doing,  and 
when  he  would  be  at  home  again.  But  Lena 
wondered  what  Eam  Juna  was  doing,  and 
whether  she  should  ever  see  him  again. 


CHAPTER  XX 

A  LIGHT  FROM  THE  EAST  GOES  OUT 

To  be  in  the  heart  of  a  great  country,  fif- 
teen hundred  miles  from  the  Atlantic,  and 
two  thousand  miles  from  the  Pacific,  to  be 
forbidden  the  public  highway  of  the  train, 
and  to  have  one's  objective  point  India, — 
this  is  by  no  means  an  easy  problem,  even 
to  the  oriental  mind.  And  who  could  know 
what  was  going  on  in  the  being  that  crept 
away  into  the  storm,  strong  with  the  instinct 
of  hiding  and  of  cunning.  He  must  have  bal- 
anced all  things.  To  go  westward,  where  the 
great  steamers  plied  toward  the  Orient,  this 
would  seem  the  natural  course ;  and  yet  that 
way  lay  interminable  prairies  and  empty 
stretches,  and  again  deserts  and  piled  moun- 
tains, without  shelter  and  without  food.  It  is 
easier  to  hide  among  people  than  amid  soli- 
tudes. On  crowded  city  streets,  we  jostle 
without  seeing. 

It  was  no  great  feat  to  transform  the  once 
391 


392  JEWEL  WEED 

Swami  of  the  flowing  robes  and  lofty  port 
into  a  hulking  skulking  negro  tramp,  like  the 
sturdy  villains  of  ancient  days,  sleeping  in 
woody  nooks  by  day,  and  pursuing  his  slow 
journey  under  the  stars,  answering  the  look 
of  such  human  beings  as  he  met  with  suspi- 
cion, keeping  to  the  hamlets  where  police 
officers  were  scarce  and  knowledge  of  the 
criminal  world  scarcer,  and  where  solitary 
house-wives,  whose  men  were  in  the  field, 
could  be  persuaded,  half  through  charity  and 
half  through  fear,  to  dole  out  food.  Ah,  but 
it  was  a  weary  journey.  The  world,  of  whose 
littleness  we  boast  when  we  think  of  steam 
and  electricity,  grows  very  sizable  again  when 
a  man  comes  back  to  the  elemental  means  of 
progress  —  his  own  two  legs.  As  for  the 
smaller  world  in  which  he  had  been  living  — 
the  world  of  luxury  and  of  worshiping  dis- 
ciples —  he  laughed  silently  to  think  what  a 
mirage  it  was  and  always  had  been. 

Down  the  Mississippi  he  crept,  sometimes 
peering  from  between  the  great  trees  that 
flanked  its  steep  banks,  as  the  red  Indians  did 
long  ago,  to  see  the  boats  of  the  white  man 
go  serenely  up  and  down  that  mighty  swirling 
current,  and  stopping  even  in  his  self-absorp- 
tion to  feel  a  little  of  the  beauty  when  the 


A  LIGHT  GOES  OUT  393 

great  river  spread  itself  into  the  shimmering 
expanse  of  Lake  Pipin,  or  to  remember,  at 
Winona,  the  picturesque  legend  that  he  had 
heard  of  the  deserted  Chippewa  maiden  who 
here  threw  herself  from  the  overhanging 
rocks  into  the  pitiless  rush  of  waters  below, 
and  left  only  her  ghost  and  her  sweet-sound- 
ing name  to  the  spot.  He  halted  to  inspect 
the  great  monolith,  a  hundred  feet  in  height, 
of  Sugar  Loaf. 

He  had  an  idea  that  in  some  little  town  to 
the  south  he  migjit  venture  to  board  a  strag- 
gling cross-country  train  to  Chicago;  and, 
once  in  the  thick  of  men  again,  he  believed 
himself  safe.  He  had  always  been  wary 
enough  to  keep  on  his  person  a  certain  sum 
of  money.  Such  as  it  was,  it  might  serve  his 
purpose.  It  also  tickled  his  sense  of  humor 
to  think  that  —  shabby  black  wayfarer  that  he 
was  —  he  had  in  his  pocket  a  check  for  five 
thousand  dollars,  that  he  could  not  cash,  and 
a  handful  of  rubies  that  were  enough  to 
awaken  the  suspicions  of  the  least  suspicious. 
But  still,  day  after  day  and  night  after  night, 
he  plodded  patiently  on  his  way  down  the 
water  course,  until  at  last,  at  Prairie  du 
Chien,  two  hundred  miles  from  St.  Etienne, 
he  felt  that  he  might  comfort  his  inner  man 


394  JEWEL  WEED 

with  hot  food,  and  his  weary  legs  with  a  bed 
and  a  pillow.  He  prowled  along  the  streets 
of  the  country  town  looking  for  some  cheap 
lodging-honse  where  snch  as  he,  a  hnmble, 
cringing,  dog-like  fellow,  might  find  shelter. 
He  looked  through  a  dusty  window  and  saw  a 
shaggy-bearded,  roughly-dressed  man  shovel- 
ing food  with  a  knife,  and  he  felt  that  he  had 
found  the  right  place. 

The  proprietor  of  the  establishment  sat  at  a 
small  table  absorbed  in  the  perusal  of  a  week- 
old  Sunday  newspaper.  He  growled  out  a 
*  ^  Guess  so.  Sausages ;  baked  beans ;  coffee, ' ' 
to  Kam  Juna's  polite  inquiry.  It  neither 
looked  nor  smelled  inviting,  but  the  Hindu 
submitted  to  fate  and  swallowed  a  hasty  and 
unpalatable  meal. 

^^Can  you  tell  me  where  I  can  get  a  bed 
for  the  night?"  he  asked,  turning  to  his  host. 

The  evident  refinement  in  his  voice  made 
that  worthy  look  up  from  his  literary  occu- 
pation in  some  startled  curiosity. 

^^They  ain't  many  places  where  they  take 
niggers,"  he  said  with  an  unpleasant  grin. 
^^But  I  guess  you  might  find  a  berth  at  Sally 
Munn's,  if  you  ain't  too  particular  about 
morals.  She's  a  merlatter  herself;  keeps  a 
place   'bout  six  houses  down,  first  street  to 


A  LIGHT  GOES  OUT  395 

the  left."  The  man  stared  impudently  as  he 
spoke,  but  Earn  Juna  said,  ^^ Thank  yon," 
with  his  usual  politeness  as  he  went  out. 
The  Hindu  noted  the  impudent  stare,  but  he 
went  away  with  an  indifferent  air. 

^*See  here!"  said  the  proprietor  to  his 
single  other  customer,  ^^ ain't  this  picture  in 
the  paper  the  very  image  of  that  black  feller 
that  just  skipped?" 

^^Say,  it's  him!" 

^^We'd  ought  to  look  this  up.  There's 
a  big  reward  offered." 

While  Eam  Juna  slept,  lying  in  all  his  day 
clothes,  some  subtle  subconsciousness  kept 
watch,  became  aware  of  disturbance,  and 
roused  his  body  to  attention.  He  got  up,  tip- 
toed to  the  open  window  and  looked  out  at 
the  group  of  men  standing  below  in  the  dark- 
ness. 

' '  Aw,  shut  up,  Sal, ' '  one  of  them  was  saying 
to  an  angry  woman  in  the  doorway.  ^*We 
ain't  go  in'  to  raid  ye,  though  Lord  knows 
you  wouldn't  have  no  kick  comin'  if  we  did. 
"What  we  want  is  that  black  feller  that  come 
to-night.  We  suspect  he's  one  of  a  gang  of 
counterfeiters  that  the  St.  Etienne  police  are 
after;  and  we  ain't  goin'  to  lose  the  chance  of 
the  reward.    You  fellers  keep  right  under  the 


396  JEWEL  WEED 

window,  and  I'll  take  you  six  up  stairs  with 
me.  He's  big  and  he  may  show  fight.  Get 
your  guns  ready.  Don't  shoot  to  kill.  We 
want  to  deliver  him  alive.  But  you  needn't 
be  afraid  to  use  a  ball  on  him. ' ' 

Eam  Juna  drew  away  from  the  window 
and  smiled  his  old  Buddha  smile.  With 
clumsy  creaking  precautions  they  mounted 
the  stair.  The  moment  for  the  climax  came ; 
there  was  a  rush  all  together,  a  breaking 
down  of  the  shaky  door.  The  crew  burst 
into  the  room  —  an  empty  room  —  and 
stared  puzzled  and  stupefied  at  the  walls  and 
at  each  other. 

^^Well,  if  that  don't  beat  alH"  ejaculated 

the  sheriff.    ^*  Where  in has  that  fellow 

disappeared  to?" 

^^They  say,"  said  Josiah  Strait,  a  lank 
westernized  Yankee,  ^^that  them  Hindu  jug- 
glers and  lamas,  and  so  forth,  has  superna- 
tural gifts,  and  I  begin  to  believe  it." 

Something  over  a  month  later,  Mr.  Early 
burst  in  on  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Percival  as  they 
dawdled  over  the  breakfast-table. 

**It's  no  time  to  be  paying  calls,  I  know," 
he  apologized,  ^'but  I've  had  such  a  sensa- 
tion this  morning  that  I  had  to  come  over  and 


A  LIGHT  GOES  OUT  397 

share  it.    Yes,  there  are  times  when  a  man 
wishes  that  he  had  a  wife  to  talk  to ! " 

'^What  is  it,  Early?"  Dick  asked  indiffer- 
ently. 

Mr.  Early  was  waving  a  bit  of  paper  about 
in  a  way  quite  hysterical. 

**Do  you  see  that?"  he  cried  exultantly. 
^^I  never  expected  to  see  it  again,  but  I  de- 
clare it  is  worth  its  price.  I  was  going  over 
my  bank  accounts  the  first  thing  this  morn- 
ing and  I  found  it." 

^ '  How  do  you  expect  us  to  know  what  it  is 
when  you're  fanning  it  about  that  way?" 
Dick  demanded. 

^^It's  a  check,  man,  a  check  for  five  thou- 
sand that  I  gave  Eam  Juna  the  very  day  of 
his  unceremonious  departure. ' '  Lena  turned 
scarlet,  and  Mr.  Early  noticed  it  with  fresh 
glee.  ^^A  check  I  gave  Eam  Juna,"  he  re- 
peated. ^^It's  been  cashed,  with  four  indorse- 
ments, in  New  Orleans.  Now  how  did  he 
manage  that,  tell  me.  The  Swami  is  one  of 
the  great  geniuses  of  the  age.  Of  course  I 
wanted  to  see  the  rascals  punished,  and  it 
makes  me  hot  to  think  how  they  used  my 
house  and  all  that,  but,  by  Jove !  I'm  glad  they 
haven't  Eam  Juna.  From  New  Orleans,  a 
seaport,  mind  you!    I  am  willing  to  make  a 


398  JEWEL  WEED 

good-sized  bet  that  he's  well  on  his  way  to 
his  favorite  Himalayas  by  this  time,  ready 
to  meditate  on  the  syllable  ^Om'  for  the  rest 
of  his  life.  Oh,  it's  too  good!  How  he  must 
laugh  in  his  sleeve  at  the  rest  of  the  world! 
But  how  did  he  get  that  check  cashed?" 

^^Well,  if  I  were  in  your  place,  I  should 
have  it  traced  back, ' '  said  Dick,  the  practical. 

^'Of  course  I  shall,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Early. 
^^Of  course  I  shall.  I  shall  put  it  in  the 
hands  of  the  police  at  once,  for  I'm  sure  of 
one  thing,  if  it  helps  to  root  out  any  sinners, 
Swami  Eam  Juna  won't  be  among  them. 
He's  gone  for  good,  take  my  word  for  it;  and 
as  for  the  other  rascals,  I  hope  with  all  my 
heart  they  may  suffer."  He  nodded  jubil- 
antly at  Mrs.  Percival,  and  she  flushed  again. 

^^It's  a  very  good  joke,  certainly,"  said 
Dick,  ^^but  rather  an  expensive  one  for  you, 
I  should  say.  Early." 

'^Oh,  I  shall  get  five  thousand  dollars' 
worth  of  satisfaction  out  of  it,"  Mr.  Early 
went  on  enthusiastically.  ^'And  I'm  proud 
of  the  Swami,  proud  of  him.  And  the 
splendid  simplicity  of  him!  I  was  talking 
yesterday  with  the  detective  that  ferreted 
him  out.  The  plunder  they  found  in  my  little 
room  was  perfectly  primitive.    He  had  prac- 


A  LIGHT  GOES  OUT  399 

tically  no  tools  to  make  the  cleverest  coun- 
terfeits in  years.  A  deft  hand  and  a  wonder- 
ful thumb  had  the  Swami. ' ' 

^^What  are  they  going  to  do  with  the  big 
ruby  in  his  turban?"  asked  Lena. 

' '  Oh,  that  is  one  of  the  chief  things  that  I 
came  to  tell  you  about.  You,  my  dear  Mrs. 
Percival,  have  especial  reason  to  be  interest- 
ed in  this."  He  turned,  brimming  with  in- 
formation, to  Lena,  '^The  captain  of  police 
took  it  to  Brand's — the  jeweler,  you  know — 
to  be  appraised.  Now  isn't  this  the  crown 
of  the  whole  story?  Brand  tells  him  that  it 
is  paste!" 

Dick  sat  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed  with 
abandon,  and  laughed  again. 

^^And  what  about  my  rubies?"  screamed 
Lena,  springing  to  her  feet. 

^^I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  they 
are  paste,  too.  Everything  he  touched  was 
fraud. ' ' 

^^I'm  glad  of  it!  I'm  glad  of  it!"  cried 
Dick,  with  a  new  access  of  mirth.  ^^The  old 
rascal!  Giving  my  wife  jewels!  Why, 
Lena,  you  couldn't  wear  his  stuff  anyway, 
after  all  this  fracas.  It  will  do  to  trim  a 
Christmas  tree." 

But  Lena,  with  angry  face,  tapped  the  floor 


400  JEWEL  WEED 

nervously  with  her  gaudy  small  slipper,  and 
made  no  reply  to  her  husband's  hilarity. 

Even  to  her  slow-working  mind  it  was  evi- 
dent that  she  had  paid  a  high  price  for  some 
worthless  bits  of  glass.  This  conferring  of  a 
favor  was  indeed  a  bond. 

She  wondered  what  Mr.  Early  thought  of 
her;  what  Dick  would  say  if  he  ever  discov- 
ered. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A  LIGHT  IN  THE  WEST   GOES  DOWN 

The  strenuousness  of  the  fall  campaign 
almost  wiped  these  events  from  Dick's  mind. 
Day  after  day  he  spent  in  bringing  home  his 
points  to  the  man  on  the  street  and  in  the 
workshop.  Much  of  it  was  dreary  and  monot- 
onous work,  but  he  kept  doggedly  at  it.  It 
seemed  his  whole  life,  now.  And  night  after 
night  Mr.  Preston,  Dick  and  EUery  tried  to 
put  fire  into  some  dingy  little  hall-full  of  men. 
To  Percival's  surprise,  Norris  developed  a 
plain  common-sense  variety  of  eloquence  that 
appealed  to  his  audiences  quite  as  much  as 
did  Dick's  more  fervid  eloquence.  EUery  in- 
variably spoke  straight  to  some  well-known 
condition.  But  they  hammered  and  pound- 
ed and  reasoned  and  explained;  they  tried 
emotion,  and  logic  and  everything  except 
bribes  to  win  their  ground,  until  their 
speeches  began  to  sound  automatic  to  them- 
selves, their  voices  grew  hoarse,  and  they 
moved  like  men  in  a  dream. 

401 


402  JEWEL  WEED 

*^If  there  were  one  day  more  of  this,"  Dick 
said  to  Norris^  as  they  tramped  home  late  on 
the  night  before  election,  and  felt  a  certain 
restfulness  in  the  November  starlight,  **I 
should  send  down  a  wheezing  nasal  phono- 
graph to  grind  ont  my  speech.  I  am  played 
out.  Everything  I  say  sounds  like  tommy- 
rot." 

^^It  does  grow  hollow.  The  worst  of  it  is  it 
robs  me  of  my  evenings  with  Madeline. '  ^ 

'^Um!"  said  Dick.  ^^When  are  you  to  be 
married?" 

^^  About  Christmas.  The  death  of  Golden, 
poor  fellow,  shoves  me  up  a  peg  on  the  edi- 
torial staff,  and  justifies  me  in  facing  matri- 
mony. Mr.  Elton  is  good  enough  to  give  us 
a  little  home.  They  are  a  family  to  hang  to, 
Dick.  I  feel  as  though  I  had  *  belongings'  for 
the  first  time  since  I  lost  my  own  father  and 
mother.  Madeline  and  I  shall  make  rather  a 
small  beginning,  but,  as  you  know,  she  has 
not  set  her  heart  on  luxuries." 

^  ^  No, ' '  said  Dick  slowly.  ^ '  You  are  a  lucky 
fellow,  EUery.  You're  going  to  get  away 
ahead  of  me  in  the  long  run.  Preston  said 
yesterday  that  the  honors  of  this  campaign 
were  yours.  He  has  been  a  fine  figure-head, 
and  I  have  hollered  loud,  but  you've  hollered 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  403 

deepest,  and  the  public  knows  it.  I  guess 
that's  the  real  reason  that  you  Ve  been  shoved 
ahead  on  the  staff.  Here's  your  boarding- 
house.  Good  night,  old  fellow.  To-morrow 
night  our  labors  will  be  over." 

^^I  hope  yours  will  have  just  begun,  Mr. 
Alderman,"  Norris  retorted. 

The  polls  closed  in  uncertainty  and  for 
three  days  speculation  filled  the  papers,  and 
election  bets  remained  unpaid.  Then  the 
decks  cleared.  Mr.  Preston  was  elected 
mayor  by  a  narrow  plurality ;  and  out  of  the 
eighteen  aldermen,  the  reform  element  had 
carried  seven,  Dick  Percival  among  them,  to 
victory.  The  Municipal  Club  counted  its 
gains  and  was  jubilant,  for  this  meant  that, 
if  the  city  council  passed  any  objectionable 
measure,  their  iniquity  could  be  vetoed  by  the 
mayor,  and  the  bad  men  of  the  city  fathers 
lacked  one  of  the  two-thirds  majority  which 
they  would  need  to  carry  their  legislation 
over  the  executive 's  veto. 

Dick  took  Lena  and  went  away  for  a  fort- 
night's rest,  but  came  back  looking  old  and 
dissatisfied. 

It  was  understood  that  the  first  battle  in  the 
new  council  would  be  over  the  lighting  fran- 
chise, which  was  about  to  expire  and  which 


404  JEWEL  WEED 

the  company  in  power  wished  to  renew. 
There  had  been  some  talk  of  an  attempt  to 
force  it  through  before  the  old  council  went 
out  of  power,  but  even  Billy  Barry's  hench- 
men refused  to  commit  themselves  to  so 
unpopular  a  measure  on  the  very  eve  of  elec- 
tion; for  St.  Etienne  had  been  paying  a 
notoriously  high  price  for  notably  bad  light- 
ing, and  the  citizen,  usually  a  meek  animal, 
had  been  stirred  to  a  realization  of  his  in- 
juries by  wholesale  exposition  of  the  truth. 

But  now  there  were  new  councils  of  war, 
and  Billy  swore  more  intricate  oaths  than  he 
had  ever  been  known  to  produce  in  days  of 
yore.  He  was  still  in  possession  of  his  alder- 
manic  seat,  but  a  little  uncertain  whether  it 
was  a  throne  or  a  stool  of  repentance.  Still 
Billy  talked  loudly  of  the  things  he  meant  to 
do;  and,  as  usual  in  his  troubles,  went  to 
consult  the  delphic  Mr.  Murdock;  and  Mr. 
Murdock  went  to  see  Mr.  Early;  and  Mr. 
Early,  after  very  much  demur,  went  to  see 
Mr.  Percival.  Sebastian  did  not  like  to  mix 
himself  publicly  in  politics,  and  the  reformers 
were  his  friends. 

Still,  one  evening  just  before  the  franchise 
was  introduced,  Mr.  Early  did  drop  in  on 
Dick  in  a  friendly  sort  of  way.    Percival  took 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  405 

him  to  his  own  sanctum,  and  settled  down 
with  him  to  the  friendly  communion  of  cigars. 

Mr.  Early  hesitated  and  was  manifestly  ill 
at  ease,  which  gave  Dick  a  pleasurable  amuse- 
ment while  he  waited  to  hear  the  discomfort 
unfolded. 

At  last  Sebastian  said:  '^Dick,  you  know 
I  am  a  man  of  art  rather  than  of  politics,  and 
of  course  I  am  in  entire  sympathy  with  the 
idea  of  clean  government ;  but  I  want  to  talk 
to  you  about  this  lighting  business." 

^^  Well?"  said  Dick,  as  he  took  out  his  cigar. 

^^It's  a  matter  of  some  importance  to  one 
or  two  of  my  friends,  and  I  may  say,  to  my- 
self, that  the  old  contract  should  be  renewed," 
said  iMr.  Early,  gaining  confidence.  ^^I  want 
to  ask  you  to  look  at  it  in  a  reasonable  light. 
I  suppose  you  fellows  had  to  be  a  little  out- 
rageously virtuous  to  make  your  campaign; 
but  now  it's  time  to  drop  that  and  get  down 
to  business." 

Dick  resumed  his  cigar  with  an  air  of  set- 
tling the  questit>n. 

'^Mr.  Early,"  he  said,  *^I  do  not  think  it 
necessary  for  us  even  to  discuss  this  matter. 
This  was  one  of  the  main  issues  in  the  cam- 
paign. Some  of  us  were  elected  on  purpose 
that  we  might  rid  the  city  of  this  kind  of 


406  JEWEL  WEED 

thing;  and  we  propose  to  carry  out  our 
pledges.     There  is  nothing  more  to  be  said." 

'^  There  are  personal  considerations  to 
every  question,  Percival,"  answered  Mr. 
Early,  shading  his  face  with  his  hand,  and 
watching  Dick's  expression  with  artistic  ap- 
preciation of  the  changes  that  he  felt  sure  he 
should  see.  ^ 

' '  Not  for  me, ' '  said  Dick.  ^ '  Thank  Heaven 
my  hands  are  clean,  and  I  can  do  whatever  I 
believe  to  be  right." 

^^  Yes,  for  you,"  answered  Mr.  Early  suave- 
ly, and  then  he  broke  into  a  suppressed  laugh. 
'^  Why,  you  young  idiot,  if  you  care  to  be  told, 
your  feet  are  limed,  and  the  sooner  you  rec- 
ognize the  fact  the  better." 

^^What  do  you  mean?"  cried  Dick  with 
fierce  resentment. 

'^Oh,  sit  down,  my  boy,"  said  Mr.  Early, 
still  amiable.  ' '  There 's  no  use  in  rampaging. 
I  just  want  to  tell  you  a  little  story  and  show 
you  a  little  piece  of  paper." 

Dick  sat  down  and  glared  at  his  guest. 

^^  Your  wife — "  Dick  started  up  with  some- 
thing like  a  groan.  ^^Yes,  your  wife,  Perci- 
val.  You  see  a  man  does  not  always  stand 
alone.  Your  wife  has  a  necklace  of  worthless 
rubies,  which  she  has  told  you  was  a  present 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  407 

from  our  dear  departed  Swami.  If  people 
only  knew  about  it,  there  might  be  a  certain 
amount  of  scandal  about  a  young  woman's 
receiving  a  supposedly  valuable  gift  from  a 
swindler  who  was  also  a  social  idol.  Don't 
go  off  your  head,  Dick.  You've  got  to  listen 
to  me.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  lied  to  you 
when  she  told  you  he  gave  them  to  her.  She 
bought  them;  and  she  had  not  the  money  to 
pay  for  them.  I  suppose  it  was  at  his  sugges- 
tion that  she  borrowed  the  sum  from  me. 
That  would  have  been  all  right,  except  that 
she  gave  me  a  note  signed  by  Eichard  Perci- 
val,  and  she  quite  omitted  to  tell  me  that  her 
husband  was  away  at  the  time.  I  found  that 
out  by  chance  afterward,  after  I  had  supplied 
her  demand.  Would  you  like  to  see  the  for- 
gery, Dick?  It's  an  ugly  word,  but  we  might 
just  as  well  be  plain  with  each  other." 

Dick's  tongue  had  grown  dry  and  speech- 
less, so  that  he  seemed  to  have  no  power  to 
check  this  recital,  and  now  all  he  could  do 
was  to  reach  out  an  eager  hand. 

' '  Not  so  fast,  "said  Mr.  Early.  ' '  It 's  mine, 
not  yours.  And  it  will  take  more  than  the  five 
thousand  dollars  out  of  which  it  swindled  me 
to  buy  it  back.  It  sounds  bad,  doesn't  it?  A 
forgery,  connected  with  a  rascal  who  was  the 


408  JEWEL  WEED 

talk  of  the  country.  I  should  not  myself  care 
to  pose  again  as  the  dupe  of  a  woman  and 
her  friendly  counterfeiter,  but  that  would  be 
a  small  matter  compared  with  the  hail  of 
scandal  that  would  whir  around  the  head  of 
that  pretty  little  butterfly,  your  wife." 

^  ^  Scandal !  My  wife ! ' '  Dick  staggered  to 
his  feet. 

^^That  is  what  we  all  want  to  avoid,  don't 
we?"  Mr.  Early  asked  with  his  fat  smile. 

They  looked  at  each  other  in  silence.  Dick 
had  a  wild  impulse  to  fling  himself  on  his 
knees,  spiritually  speaking,  and  to  beg  for 
mercy;  but  the  expression  of  Mr.  Early's  face 
suggested  that  all  sentiment  would  fall  into 
cold  storage  in  his  breast. 

*^ You've  been  devoting  yourself,  with  a 
certain  amount  of  success,  to  digging  out  the 
hidden  things  in  other  men's  careers,"  the 
tormentor  went  on  with  a  cheerful  sneer.  ' '  I 
suppose  it  has  amused  you.  I  know  it  amuses 
me,  and  it  would  doubtless  amuse  the  public, 
to  fix  attention  on  this  little  affair  of  your 
own.  You  must  remember  that  you  have  this 
disadvantage:  you  and  your  kind  are  thin- 
skinned.  Billy  Barry  and  his  kind  are  pachy- 
derms." 

He  settled  back  comfortably  in  his  chair 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN         409 

and  smiled  benevolently  at  Dick^s  white  face. 

'^Welir'  Dick  asked  at  last  hoarsely. 

Mr.  Early  carefully  refolded  the  slip  of 
paper,  and  tucked  it  away  in  his  vest  pocket, 
but  he  spoke  with  engaging  openness. 

^^It's  yours,  my  dear  boy,  the  day  after 
the  lighting  franchise  passes  over  the  mayor's 
veto.  If  they  fail  to  pass  it,  I  shall  know 
that  you  and  Mrs.  Percival  are  willing  to 
stand  a  little  public  obloquy  for  the  sake  of 
what  you  consider  right.  Very  creditable  to 
you,  I  am  sure,  and  damned  uncomfortable 
for  your  wife. ' ' 

Dick  still  stared  at  him,  and  he  went  on: 
^^I'U  leave  you  to  think  it  over.  In  fact,  I 
do  not  know  that  it  is  necessary  for  me  to 
learn  your  decision  except  by  your  action. 
Sorry  to  have  to  take  extreme  measures,  but 
it's  every  one  for  himself,  in  this  world." 

He  went  out,  and  Dick  sank  into  a  chair 
and  stared  at  his  toes  and  the  ashes. 

^^ What's  the  use?"  he  said  to  himself. 
^^She  didn't  know  what  she  was  doing.  I 
can't  change  it  or  her." 

Winter  went  on,  and  EUery  and  Madeline 
were  married.  Dick  squandered  himself  on 
their  wedding  present,  and  looked  like  a  thun- 
der-cloud as  he  watched  the  ceremony.    On 


410  JEWEL  WEED 

the  day  after  he  returned  from  his  brief 
honeymoon,  Norris  started  down  town  to  take 
np  the  routine  of  life,  irradiated  now  by  love 
and  purpose.  The  world  seemed  fresh  and 
fair,  and  even  the  face  of  Billy  Barry  less 
unlovely  than  usual  as  they  met  near  News- 
paper Eow. 

^'Morning,"  said  Mr.  Barry.  *^You  look 
ripping.  My  congratulations.  Sorry  you 
could  not  come  around  to  the  council  meeting, 
last  night.  You'd  have  been  pleased  to  see 
the  old  franchise  waltz  through. ' ' 

'^What  do  you  mean?"  demanded  Norris, 
stopping  short. 

^^ Haven't  even  read  the  morning  paper? 
Good  land,  that's  what  it  means  to  be  a  bride- 
groom!" Barry  went  on  with  a  chuckle. 
^^ Couldn't  stop  looking  at  her  face  behind  the 
coffee-pot!" 

Norris  restrained  an  impulse  to  throttle 
him  and  allowed  Barry  to  proceed. 

*^Why,  yes,  we  passed  the  old  thing.  I 
always  said  we  would.  Your  friend  Percival 
voted  with  the  combine.  He's  the  real  stuff. 
When  he  saw  how  truth  and  justice  lay,  he 
buckled  down  and  did  the  square  thing.  Have 
a  cigar  ?  No  ?  Oh  yes,  it 's  straight  goods  I  'm 
givin'  you.    You  needn't  look  so  queer.    And 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN         411 

say,  on  the  quiet,  I'm  rather  stuck  on  you 
reform  fellers.  All  they  need  is  argument. 
So  when  you  get  'em,  you  get  'em  cheap. 
Say,  it's  better  than  cash,  any  day." 

Norris  ran  up  the  steps  and  snatched  a 
morning's  paper.  Yes,  it  was  true.  Percival 
had  voted  against  his  friends  and  had  given 
the  victory  to  the  other  side.  EUery  flung 
into  his  office  and  whirled  into  his  day's  work 
in  a  kind  of  daze.  There  was  much  to  do  and 
no  time  for  outside  thought,  but  when  the 
afternoon  was  over,  instead  of  rushing  back 
to  the  little  home,  as  he  had  expected,  Norris 
hurried  into  his  coat  and  hastened  to  find 
Dick.  Mr.  Percival  was  at  home ;  and,  with- 
out waiting  to  be  announced,  Ellery  sprang 
up  the  stairs  to  the  little  sanctum  where  the 
two  had  confabbed  on  many  a  day.  He 
plunged  in  on  Dick,  pale  and  unresponsive, 
and  blurted  out  his  question. 

^^Yes,"  said  Dick,  *^I  voted  for  it.  I  be- 
came convinced  that  it  was  the  best  thing 
the  city  could  do.  I've  been  telling  the  boys 
so  for  the  past  two  weeks.  I  really  didn't 
understand  the  matter  before.  Don't  get  so 
excited,  Norris." 

He  spoke  quietly,  but  without  meeting  his 
friend's  eyes,  and  Ellery 's  heart  sank. 


412  JEWEL  WEED 

'^I  don't  know  what  it  means,  Dick,"  he 
said  bitterly,  *^but  it  seems  to  me  that,  like 
Lucifer,  you've  been  falling  from  dawn  to 
dewy  eve,  and  now  you  are  likely  to  consort 
with  the  devils  in  the  pit.  Are  you  the  old 
Dick  who  used  to  be  my  idol  I ' ' 

'*0h,  bosh!"  said  Dick.  **You  are  making 
mountains  out  of  mole  hills.  The  franchise 
is  all  right." 

''It's  not  all  right;  and  you're  not  all 
right,"  cried  Norris,  in  a  frantic  grasping 
after  the  truth  of  the  matter.  ' '  The  old  re- 
lationships are  slipping  away  and  something 
that  was  as  dear  to  me  as  myself  is  going 
with  them." 

He  turned  away  and  Dick  suddenly  rose. 

''EUery,"  he  cried  hoarsely,  and  Norris 
turned  to  see  anguish  in  Dick's  face  and  out- 
stretched hand,  ''I — ^I — can't  explain  to 
you,"  cried  Percival;i  ''but,  EUery — "  he 
moved  forward,  "don't  cut  the  bonds  of  old 
friendship,  for  God 's  sake !  I  need  you  now, 
as  I  never  did  before.  If  you  desert  me,  I 
shall  lose  my  grip." 

Norris  stepped  back,  and  the  two  took  each 
other's  hands  and  looked  steadfastly,  eye  into 
eye.  And  Norris  saw  something  that  took  on 
him  the  hold  that  death  has  on  us,  and  made 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  413 

him  ready  to  forgive.  Death  is  the  big  prob- 
lem of  every  mind.  We  may  perhaps  master 
and  solve  the  question  when  the  death  is  of 
the  body,  but  when  the  soul  dies  out,  the  prob- 
lem is  too  great. 

EUery  sank  into  a  chair  with  weariness. 

'^Tell  me  about  it,"  he  said. 

Then  Dick  stiffened  again. 

^' There  isn't  anything  to  tell." 

*'See  here,"  said  Norris.  **This  isn't  only 
a  question  of  the  lighting  franchise.  The  city 
may  walk  in  darkness  and  be  damned  for  all 
I  care;  but  I  can't  bear  that  you  should  walk 
in  darkness.  Do  you  realize  what  it  means  T 
You  have  fought  your  first  public  battle  on  a 
basis  of  truth.  You  make  your  first  public 
appearance  in  league  with  evil.  You  are  kill- 
ing the  hope  of  your  public  career  before  it  is 
fairly  in  bud." 

^^I  know  it,"  said  Dick. 

'^Percival,  you've  stirred  this  city  into  con- 
sciousness. It's  been  wonderful  how  you 
have  done  it  so  swiftly,  for  it  is  your  doing. 
The  decent  elements  are  marching  forward 
into  control  and  it  belongs  to  you  to  march 
at  their  head.  The  thing  has  got  to  go  on. 
If  you  don't  lead  it,  some  one  else  will." 

^^I  know  it." 


414  JEWEL  WEED 

^^And  you  are  going  to  give  up?"  EUery 
urged,  incredulous. 

**I  haven't  decided.  Perhaps  I  have  done 
with  politics. ' ' 

^*And  if  you  abandon  your  public  career, 
what  are  you  going  to  do  ? " 

*^What  do  other  failures  do?'^ 

'^Oh,  stuff!"  exclaimed  Norris,  and  began 
to  pace  the  room.  ^^Then  you  did  not  vote 
for  the  franchise  because  you  believed  in  it. 
Somebody  has  a  pull  on  you.  I'd  never  have 
believed  that  any  man  in  this  wide  world 
would  get  a  pull  on  Dick  Percival. ' ' 

^^Well,  somebody  has,"  said  Dick  shortly. 
^'I  wouldn't  say  so  much  as  that  to  any  mor- 
tal but  yourself.  Now  spare  me,  EUery,  and 
don't  carry  it  any  further.  Do  you  think," 
he  went  on  bitterly,  ^^that  I  have  not  gone 
over  the  whole  ground  and  told  myself  the 
old  truths  that  never  mean  anything  to  you 
until  life  rams  them  home  on  your  conscious- 
ness? A  man  may  creep  out  from  under  the 
machinery  of  state  law,  and  escape  from  the 
punishment  he  deserves;  but  from  the  laws 
under  which  we  really  live,  there  is  no 
escape.  It  is  reap  what  you  sow;  hate  and 
you  shall  be  hated;  sin  and  suffer.  And  it 
isn't  as  though  one  went  out  to  sow.     One 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  415 

sows  perforce,  every  minute,  whether  he  will 
or  not.  In  some  instances  the  reaping  is 
singularly  little  fun,  Ellery." 

^^Well,  whatever  hold  this  mysterious  some 
one  has  on  you,  be  a  man.  Stand  up  and  own 
yourself  and  let  the  consequences  go  hang." 

'^I  know  some  men  could.  You  could. 
That's  the  advantage  of  having  taken  a  good 
many  hard  blows.  You  learn  to  stand  up 
against  them,"  Dick  answered  slowly.  ^^You 
know  other  people's  opinion  has  always  been 
a  god  to  me.  I  haven't  the  strength  to  defy 
it  now." 

There  was  a  short  silence,  then  Dick  laid 
his  arms  across  his  friend's  shoulders,  quite 
in  the  old  friendly  way. 

^^Now  may  we  drop  that  subject  and  be 
good  pals  again?" 

''Not  yet,"  Ellery  said  sharply.  ''We 
won't  drop  it  till  I've  had  one  more  say. 
Dick,  don't  be  knocked  out  by  a  single  blow. 
You !  Why,  I  thought  you  had  a  grip  like  a 
bulldog.  I  can't  believe  even  in  this  ugly 
mess.  Still  less  will  I  believe  that  you  haven 't 
the  courage — that  you  aren't  man  enough  to 
own  your  defeat,  and  then  go  on  as  though 
you  hadn't  been  beaten.'' 

Dick  poked  at  the  andirons  with  his  toe. 


416  JEWEL  WEED 

Suddenly  he  looked  up  with  a  flash  of  his 
old  brilliance  and  buoyancy. 

'^Suppose  I  do!"  he  exclaimed.  '^What  a 
fellow  you  are,  EUery,  to  stick  to  me  this  way ! 
But  don't  underestimate  my  difficulty.  I'm 
not  an  absolute  coward,  but  I've  been  beaten 
not  only  once,  but  on  both  flanks  and  in  the 
middle.  Everything  in  life  seemed  to  be 
giving  me  a  kick.  I  was  at  the  bottom  when 
you  came  in,  but  if  you  believe  in  me,  perhaps 
I'll  begin  to  believe  in  myself  again.  You've 
always  been  telling  me  how  much  I  did  for 
you.  You've  done  more  for  me  to-night  than 
I  ever  dreamed  of  doing  for  you." 

EUery 's  face  cleared.  They  stood  with 
clasped  hands,  and  there  seemed  no  need  of 
further  explanations  or  assurances.  Norris 
drew  a  long  breath  of  relief. 

^^So  we  are  friends  still?"  asked  Dick. 

'^Till  the  Judgment  Day  and  beyond." 

*'Now  good-by,"  said  Dick,  as  though  anx- 
ious to  get  rid  of  him,  ^'till  to-morrow." 

^'Till  to-morrow." 

A  moment  later  a  radiant  vision  stood  in 
the  doorway  making  a  pouting  face. 

^^Dick,"  said  Lena. 

Dick  started  and  stiffened  himself  a^ 
though  to  give  battle,  his  hands  rested  on  the 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  417 

chair-back  in  front  of  him,  but  an  instant's 
survey  of  his  wife's  rose-leaf  face,  her  well- 
groomed  masses  of  hair,  her  dainty  evening 
gown,  seemed  to  inspire  another  attitude.  He 
threw  his  arms  passionately  around  her. 

'^Oh,  Lena,"  he  cried,  ^4ove  me!  You 
must  love  me — you  have  cost  me  so  dear ! ' ' 

' '  Nonsense ! ' '  Lena  gave  him  a  sharp  push 
and  spoke  resentfully.  *^I'm  not  half  so  ex- 
travagant as  most  of  the  women  we  know." 

Dick  drew  away  and  became  rigid  again. 

^^Extravagant !"  he  exclaimed  as  though  to 
himself.  * '  You  have  cost  me  my  self-respect, 
a  big  part  of  my  future  and  the  cream  of 
my  best  friendship.  What  higher  price  could 
a  man  pay  for  the  thing  he  loves  ? ' ' 

^^I  do  think,  Dick,"  said  Lena  severely, 
* '  that  you  can  talk  the  silliest  nonsense  of  any 
person  I  ever  heard.  What  on  earth  is  the 
meaning  of  all  this?  No — no — "  as  she  saw 
that  he  was  getting  ready  to  reply.  ^^I  have 
not  time  to  hear.  I  thought  that  tiresome 
Mr.  Norris  would  never  go.  What  can  you 
see  in  him? — ^Have  you  forgotten  that  we  are 
going  to  the  Country  Club  for  dinner?  It's 
long  past  time  for  you  to  dress." 

*^ Imagine  it!  I  had  forgotten  that  din- 
ner!" Dick  answered  bitterly.    For  a  mo- 


418  JEWEL  WEED 

ment  he  turned  away  as  though  he  would  not 
see  her  while  he  readjusted  something  in  him- 
self. He  felt  like  a  different  man  and  looked 
to  her  indefinably  strange  when  he  faced  her 
again  quietly.  To  himself  he  was  saying, 
^^What  would  Ellery  do?"  and  on  his  answer 
to  his  own  question  he  was  readjusting  his 
whole  life. 

^^We  will  not  go  out  this  evening,  Lena,'' 
he  said.  *^ We've  come  to  a  crisis  in  our  af- 
fairs more  important  than  a  club  dinner." 

^^What,  have  you  been  losing  money?" 
cried  Lena,  startled  and  resentful. 

Dick  looked  at  her  with  a  very  unpleasant 
smile. 

^^No,"  he  answered.  ^'I  wonder  what  youi 
would  say  if  I  told  you  that  I  was  ruined?" 

Lena  gasped  with  horror.  For  the  moment 
she  could  not  speak.  A  gulf  of  poverty — no 
one  knew  better  than  she  what  that  meant — • 
yawned  before  her.  A  blind  fury  against 
Dick,  if  he  should  have  plunged  her  into  this, 
possessed  her;  and  Dick  watched  her  and  read 
her  as  he  had  never  done  before. 

'*  Will  you  sit  down?"  he  asked  courteously. 
^^I  want  to  talk  with  you — just  by  our  two 
selves.  I  haven't  lost  any  money,  Lena. 
Let  me  relieve  your  mind  of  its  worst  ap- 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  419 

prehension."  Her  face  smoothed,  but  she 
seated  herself  quietly,  puzzled  and  forebod- 
ing.   Dick  was  so  singularly  inaccessible. 

^^IVe  lost  no  money,"  he  repeated,  ^'but 
I've  come  desperately  near  ruin  for  all  that. 
Lena,  a  moment  ago  I  made  a  real  appeal  to 
your  love.  You  answered  me  by  a  shrug  and 
a  push  for  fear  that  I  might  muss  that  very 
pretty  and  exceedingly  becoming  gown.  It 
was  a  kind  of  illustration  of  all  our  married 
life." 

Lena  still  stared  at  him  dumbly,  vague  with 
uncomprehending  fear.  This  didn't  seem  like 
the  easy-going  husband  she  knew.  She  wished 
he  would  look  at  her. 

**When  we  were  married,"  he  went  on,  ^^I 
had  a  dream  that  a  man's  wife  stood  for  his 
ideals,  that  he  might  mold  his  life  by  her 
purity  and  nobleness  and  love.  I've  always 
been  saying,  in  effect,  ^Lead  on,  Mrs.  Perci- 
val  and  I  will  follow  where  you  lead ! '  You  've 
led  me  into  the  depths,  Lena,  and  I'm  never 
going  to  say  that  to  you  any  more.  You  and 
I  have  got  to  remold  our  relations  and  start 
again." 

*  ^  What  has  happened  ? ' '  Lena  asked  faintly, 
and  feeling  very  helpless.  She  seemed  sud- 
denly to  realize  how  very  big  Dick's  body 


420  JEWEL  WEED 

was,  and  how  little  chance  she  stood  against 
it.  If  he  was  inaccessible  in  spirit  she  had  no 
hold  over  him.  She  wished  he  wonld  get 
angry.  That  would  be  something  concrete. 
She  wonld  know  how  to  meet  it. 

^^What  has  happened?"  she  repeated. 

^^Only  this,"  Dick  said.  ^^I  am  going  to 
refuse  to  delude  myself  any  longer;  and  it 
is  fair  to  you  as  it  is  to  me  that  you  should 
know  it.  I  am  going  to  stop  telling  myself 
that  you  are  my  ideal  woman,  when  you  have 
shown  me,  for  instance,  your  unwillingness  to 
make  such  tender  self-sacrifice  as  a  mother 
must  give  to  a  child — that  you  are  true  and 
honest  when  you  are  guilty  of  an  underhand 
thrust  like  that  little  squib  about  Madeline — 
that—" 

*^Ah,"  shrieked  Lena,  leaping  to  her  feet 
with  the  light  beginning  to  come  into  her  eyes. 
'^So  that's  what's  the  matter!    That  girl—" 

^^No,"  said  Dick  evenly,  '^that  is  not  what 
cuts  most.  What  hurts  through  and  through, 
Lena,  is  the  knowledge  that  you  don't  even 
love  me  enough,  in  spite  of  all  my  wasted 
passion,  to  keep  from  intriguing  with  an- 
other man  behind  my  back  for  the  sake  of  a 
few  bits  of  red  glass." 


A  LiaHT  GOES  DOWN  421 

**How — did  Mr.  Early — ?"  Lena  began, 
but  he  interrupted  her  again. 

^^Did  it  seem  such  a  simple  thing  to  keep 
me  perpetually  blinded  ?  Last  night,  Lena,  I 
paid  your  debt  to  Mr.  Early.  I  sold  my  vote 
in  the  council,  along  with  my  self-respect  and 
my  honor  in  the  sight  of  others  to  get  back 
this  shred  of  paper.  Once  I  might  have 
thought  you  sinned  ignorantly,  but  I  know 
you  better  now.  Here  is  that  priceless 
scrap."  He  drew  it  from  his  pocket  and 
threw  it  into  her  lap.  ^^Now  I've  swept 
away  all  the  mists !  There  can't  be  any  sweet 
illusions  between  you  and  me,  Lena."  He 
drew  a  sharp  breath. 

Lena's  heart  was  beating  very  fast  and 
her  eyes  were  down.  She  saw  shrewdly  that 
there  was  no  need  of  argument  on  any  of 
these  topics.  The  less  she  said  about  them 
the  better  for  her.  And  Dick,  with  his  hands 
in  his  pockets,  was  watching  her  from  the 
other  side  of  the  room.  She  twisted  the  piece 
of  paper  in  her  hands.  She  had  always  a  bald 
way  of  telling  herself  the  truth.  Now  she 
would  face  Dick  in  the  same  spirit.  After  all, 
she  was  his  wife.  He  couldn't  get  away  from 
that. 

^^Well,"  she  said,  '*I  suppose  you  don't 


422  JEWEL  WEED 

love  me  any  more?"  Her  voice  was  like  her 
mother's,  acid  and  selfish. 

^'Do  you  love  me?"  asked  Dick. 

^  ^  No ! "  said  Lena.  She  saw  him  writhe  and 
felt  glad  that  she  had  the  power  to  hurt  him, 
but  he  answered  very  gently. 

^^Then  I  still  have  the  advantage  of  you, 
Lena.  I  love  you,  not  in  the  old  way  I  once 
dreamed  of  loving — 'but  still  I  love  you.  All 
this  that  I've  said  to-night  was  not  spoken 
in  the  heat  of  anger.  I've  known  these  facts 
for  a  long  time,  and  you  have  never  felt  any 
change  in  my  manner;  but  gradually  I  have 
come  to  see  that  there  could  never  be  any 
genuine  relations  between  us —  you  and  me — 
so  long  as  you  thought  me  just  a  silly  dupe 
for  you  to  get  everything  you  could  from,  to 
be  played  on  as  you  pleased.  We  must  begin 
again,  a  new  way.  You  don't  love  me,  you 
say.  I  do  love  you,  sweetheart,  not  for  what 
I  thought  you  were,  but  for  what  you  are, 
because  you  are  my  wife,  because  you  need 
my  tenderness  and  help.  But  I'm  not  going 
to  let  you  lead  any  longer.  We  can't  even 
walk  side  by  side  as  some  husbands  and  wives 
do."  Dick  seemed  to  hear  the  voices  of  El- 
lery  and  Madeline  by  their  own  fireside,  and 
he  went  on  hurriedly.     '^You  needn't  look  at 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  423 

me  that  way,  Lena,  as  if  you  were  afraid  of 
me.  I  shall  want  you  to  be  comfortable  and 
happy.  I  shall  try  to  give  you  the  things  you 
want — things — things — ^things!  But  I  have 
some  purposes  in  life,  and  they,  not  you,  are 
to  be  my  master-spirits. ' ' 

Dick  turned  away  and  stared  out  of  the 
winter  window,  stirred  by  his  own  words  into 
a  strange  new  understanding  of  himself — a 
mere  fatuous  self -believer,  a  man  who  trust- 
ed to  fate  not  fight,  to  fortune  not  to  mas- 
tery, who  had  not  made  his  standards,  but  let 
them  make  themselves.  And  now  it  was  come 
to  this,  that  a  half-hour  in  a  room  with  a 
foolish  girl  was  the  turning-point  in  his  life. 

He  seemed  strange  to  himself,  as  though  he 
were  examining  a  life  from  the  outside  rather 
than  from  the  inside,  and  fumbling  at  its  real 
meaning. 

He  had  done  no  wrong;  but  what  does  the 
march  of  events  care  whether  the  failure  be 
intentional  or  careless?  Eesults  follow  just 
the  same. 

There  flashed  before  his  inward  eye  the 
face  of  his  long-dead  father,  white  and  set 
with  some  inward  pain  of  which  he  did  not 
speak.  Dick  remembered  that  as  a  boy  that 
had  seemed  to  him  a  pitiful  thiug.    Now  he 


424  JEWEL  WEED 

saw  it  somewhat  as  the  believers  once  saw 
the  face  of  the  martyr,  the  visible  manifesta- 
tion of  triumph — the  success  of  being  true  to 
yourself  in  spite  of  all  the  world. 

Dick  drew  a  long  breath  and  dropped  his 
boyhood  without  even  a  regret.  He  knew  he 
could  accept  conditions  and  limitations  and 
not  kick  against  the  pricks,  but  quietly,  as 
one  who  is  capable  of  being  superior  to  them. 
The  bitterness,  the  depression  of  an  hour, 
two  hours,  ago  faded  into  trifles,  and  the 
thing  nearest  to  his  consciousness  was  that 
dead  father  who  had  had  his  wound  and  lived 
his  life  in  spite  of  it ;  nearer,  infinitely  nearer, 
than  the  living  wife  whom  a  slight  noise 
brought  to  his  remembrance.  He  had  forgot- 
ten her.  She  belonged  now  to  the  elements 
outside  his  dearest  life. 

He  turned  toward  Lena,  waiting,  silent,  un- 
comprehending,— poor  little  Lena,  a  woman 
who  could  never  be  anything  more.  He  felt 
a  wave  of  strange  new  pity  for  her,  unlike  the 
pity  he  had  once  experienced  for  her  poverty 
of  body,  a  sorrow,  this,  for  what  she  was  in 
herself,  his  wife — ^poor,  poor  little  child ! 

Lena  sat  still,  picking  at  the  bit  of  paper, 
but  she  looked  up  now,  moved  in  spite  of  her- 
self by  the  exultant  ring  in  Dick's  voice,  as 


A  LIGHT  GOES  DOWN  425 

he  strode  over  to  her  and  held  out  both  his 
hands. 

^^And  so  we  begin  again — ^honestly,  this 
time.  Perhaps  some  day  you'll  come  to  ac- 
cept my  standards  inwardly  as  well  as  out- 
wardly. Perhaps  you'll  even  come  to  love 
me,  some  day,  little  wife." 

Lena  took  his  hands  submissively.  Her 
small  tyranny,  her  stock  of  little  ambitions 
had  slipped  from  her  and  she  shivered  as 
though  she  was  stripped  and  cold ;  but  behind 
there  was  a  kind  of  delight  in  this  new  Dick, 
with  authoritative  eyes  into  which  she  stared, 
wondering  still,  with  trepidation,  what  he  was 
going  to  make  of  her  life. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

ANOTHER  BEGINNING 

Norris,  as  he  left  PercivaPs  house,  had  a 
glimpse  of  Lena  coming  down  the  hall,  won- 
derful in  her  shimmering  evening  gown, 
brave  in  jewels.  She  dazzled  him,  though  he 
despised  his  eyes  for  admiring  her  and  told 
himself  that  she  was  tinsel. 

He  bowed  in  response  to  her  curt  nod,  well 
aware  that  she  thought  him  too  unimportant 
to  merit  her  courtesy,  while  she  resented  her 
husband's  inexplicable  regard  for  him.  He 
went  out  into  a  cold  winter  drizzle  and  turned 
his  face  toward  home  and  Madeline,  those  new 
and  thrilling  possessions.  For  the  moment, 
however,  there  was  no  exhilaration  in  his 
heart,  rather  a  depressed  questioning 
whether,  after  all,  everything  beautiful  was  a 
sham.  Was  the  daily  grind  a  mechanical 
mill-wheel?  Dick  and  Dick's  marriage,  were 
they  but  samples  of  the  way  life  deals  with 
hope?    A  pang  stabbed  through  him  as  his 

426 


ANOTHER  BEGINNING         427 

own  marriage  rose  and  stood  beside  Dick's 
in  his  mind.  It  meant  so  much  to  him;  yet 
only  a  few  months  before  his  friend  had  been 
bubbling  with  an  exultation  more  open-voiced 
than  his  own. 

There  are  not  only  great  Sloughs  of  De- 
spond waiting  here  and  there  for  the  pilgrim, 
but  there  are  in  almost  every  day  little  gut- 
ters of  despond  that  must  be  jumped  if  one 
does  not  wish  cold  and  soiled  feet;  so  here 
his  healthy  mind  cried  out  against  morbid 
thoughts  and  he  reviled  himself  for  compan- 
ioning the  thing  he  held  sacred  with  the  thing 
he  had  always  felt  foredoomed  to  failure.  He 
told  himself  that  middle-age  was  not  a  dead 
level  of  hopes  grown  gray  and  withered,  but 
rather  a  heightening  of  the  contrasts  between 
success  and  failure.  A  word  of  Mr.  Elton's 
spoken  long  ago,  flashed  back  to  him :  ^  ^  Don 't 
build  your  attics  before  you've  finished  your 
cellars.'*  That,  after  all,  was  a  test.  If  one 
could  but  get  a  good  solid  foundation  under 
hope,  one  might  trust  it  to  lift  its  pinnacle  as 
far  toward  Heaven  as  the  ethereal  upper  air. 
Alas  for  Dick  t 

Then,  though  he  still  loved  his  one-time 
hero,  Ellery  put  Dick  from  his  mind.  His 
feet  quickened  and  his  heart  began  to  beat 


428  JEWEL  WEED 

joyously  again.  He  ran  np  his  steps,  delight- 
ing in  the  commonplace  performance  of  put- 
ting a  latch-key  into  a  lock.  The  cold  and 
drizzle  were  shut  outside,  and  Madeline 
waited  in  the  warmth  and  light  of  the  hall  to 
insist  on  helping  him  off  with  his  overcoat, 
a  task  so  absurdly  difficult  that  when  it  was 
finished  they  laughed  and  kissed  each  other 
in  mutual  delight  at  their  own  foolishness. 

Then  Madeline  took  his  hand  and  drew 
him  into  the  living-room,  where  the  light  was 
low  and  shaded,  but  blazing  logs  painted  even 
far-shadowed  corners  with  warmth,  and 
pranked  the  girl's  white  dress  into  glow- 
ing pink,  while  the  fire  hummed  and  crackled 
its  own  triumph : 

*'I  consumed  the  deep  green  forest  with  all  its 
songs, 
And  all  the  songs  of  the  forest  now  sing 
aloud  in  me." 

Ellery  stood  with  his  arm  around  his  wife's 
waist  and  looked  about  with  a  quizzical  ex- 
pression that  made  her  ask, 

^^What  are  you  thinking?'^ 

^^I  was  remembering." 

**  And  pray  what  business  have  you,  sir,  to 
live  in  anything  but  the  present?" 


ANOTHER  BEGINNING  429 

^^  Perhaps  I  get  more  from  to-day  because 
I  don't  forget  yesterday.  When  I  first  came 
to  St.  Etienne,  sweetheart,  Dick  took  me  to 
his  home.  Yon  know,  with  your  mere  mind, 
but  you  can  not  appreciate,  how  unrelated  my 
life  had  been.  You  can't  imagine  how  hun- 
grily I  looked  at  that  restful  room  and  at 
Dick's  mother.  I  felt  as  though  I  would  give 
anything — ^my  soul — to  have  a  home.  And 
now,  behold,  I  have  one. ' ' 

^^And  you  had  to  pledge  your  soul  to  me 
to  get  it." 

^^True.  I  paid  dearly,"  he  said.  ^'But  I 
was  wondering  how  it  was  that  you  had  man- 
aged to  put  so  much  atmosphere  into  so  un- 
tried a  place.  It  looks  to  me  as  impossible 
as  a  miracle.  Here  are  some  new  walls,  and 
new  furniture  and  new  curtains  and  new 
vases  and  new  pictures.  Even  the  books  are 
mostly  new.  I  always  resented  new  books. 
They  are  like  green  fruit.  A  book  isn't  ripe 
until  it  begins  to  be  frayed  around  the  edges. 
It  would  seem  to  me  a  hopeless  job  to  make  a 
home  out  of  all  this  raw  material.  Yet  this 
room  already  reminds  me  of  Mrs.  Percival's 
library,  Madeline,  and  it  isn't  only  because 
it  is  a  long  room  with  a  big  fireplace." 

^^I  think  it  is  a  good  beginning,"  she  an- 


430  JEWEL  WEED 

swered.  ^^Now  all -we  have  to  do  is  to  live 
in  it." 

^^You  talk  as  though  *  living'  were  a  very 
easy  matter,"  he  remonstrated.  ^^I  think  it 
must  be  the  hardest  thing  in  the  world,  judg- 
ing by  the  failures.  I  know  heaps  of  people 
who  are  drifting,  or  grubbing,  or  wallowing, 
or  stumbling,  or  racing,  but  only  a  handful 
that  are  living.  The  thought  of  it  made  me 
blue  all  the  way  home." 

^^Dick?"  Madeline  asked  with  ready  intui- 
tion. 

*^Yes,  Dick.  He  voted  with  the  combine 
and  against  the  reform  element  in  last  night's 
council  meeting;  and  he  did  it  on  some  one's 
compulsion.  I  can't  tell  you  how  it  has 
stirred  and  disheartened  me." 

^^Have  you  seen  him?" 

^^Yes." 

^^What  did  he  say?" 

^^That  he  could  not  explain." 

^^Then,"  said  his  wife  decisively,  ^4t  is 
some  of  Lena's  doings.  About  anything  else 
— anything — he  would  have  told  you,  EUery." 

'^Very  likely,  though  it  is  hard  to  see  how 
Mrs.  Percival  could  be  mixed  up  in  affairs 
like  this." 

Madeline  was  moving  about  restlessly. 


ANOTHER  BEGINNING  431 

^^Elleiy,"  she  said  at  last,  ^^I  feel  as 
though  you  and  I  had  to  be  a  sort  of  pair  of 
god-parents  to  Dick.  He  is  so  dear,  so  lov- 
able, so  fine — and  so  unable  to  go  alone.  You, 
particularly,  dearest,  are  the  stanchest  thing 
he  has.  I  know  just  how  he  feels  about  you, 
for  I  feel  so,  too.  You  are  going  to  push 
behind  him  and  understand  him  and  back 
up  all  his  resolves,  aren't  you,  even  if  he 
does  half  disappoint  you?  You  aren't  going 
to  let  anything  alienate  you  or  come  between 
your  friendship  and  his,  are  you?  I  know 
you  love  him,  and  I'm  sure  he  needs  you." 

EUery  smiled  down  at  her  questioning  eyes 
and  the  intoxicating  appeal  of  her  confidence 
in  him — Madeline's! 

*^I  rather  think  I  am  Dick's  friend  for  all 
I'm  worth/'  he  said  slowly,  at  last.  ^^Even  if 
I  were  tempted  to  disloyalty,  I  should  be 
ashamed  to  harbor  it  with  your  faithfulness 
standing  before  me.  And  I  believe  this  very 
afternoon  was  a  kind  of  crisis  with  him — that 
he  was  gathering  himself  together  when  I 
came  away." 

*^  And  by  your  help,  I  dare  say,"  added  his 
wife. 

^^I  hope  so.  I  know  but  one  thing  that 
seems  to  me  more  worth  while  than  the  pur- 


432  JEWEL  WEED 

pose  of  helping  Dick  Percival  to  be  what  it 
is  in  him  to  be." 

^^And  what  is  that  other  better  thing?" 

^ '  Yon  arrant  f  r and  I  Do  yon  need  to  ask  ? ' ' 
he  said,  langhing. 

^'Well,  comfort  yonrself.  Yon  are  to  go 
on  fnlfilling  yonr  two  purposes  in  life — ^you 
and  I  together." 

^'I  pray  we  may.  I  believe  we  shall,"  an- 
swered her  hnsband  earnestly. 

^'1  know  we  shall,  doubting  Thomas.  I'm 
one  of  the  women  who  are  strong  in  unreason- 
ing faith." 

They  stood  silently  smiling  at  each  other 
for  a  moment. 

^^  Shall  we  celebrate  the  beginning  of  home 
with  pomp  and  music  ? ' '  she  asked.  ^ '  There 's 
a  little  time  before  dinner.  Make  yourself 
comfortable.  Push  Mrs.  Percival  up  to  the 
fire." 

''Mrs.  Percival!"  Ellery  exclaimed,  drop- 
ping his  guilty  arm  and  looking  about  in  a 
startled  manner. 

''Oh,  I  forgot  you  didn't  know.  I've  been 
all  over  the  house  this  afternoon,  christening 
our  things  with  the  names  of  the  people  that 
gave  them  to  us.  Doesn't  it  make  all  the 
wedding  presents  seem  very  friendly  and  not 


ANOTHER  BEGINNING  433 

at  all  new?  Wouldn't  you  know,  even  if  you 
hadn't  been  told,  that  this  particular  chair 
was  Mother  Percival — it's  so  graceful  and 
comforting.    Dump  yourself  into  it,  EUery." 

She  pushed  him  down  laughing. 

^^Ah,  I  begin  to  see  that  you  stole  your 
atmosphere.  The  things  aren't  so  new  after 
all.    They  're  old  acquaintances. ' ' 

^^Of  course  they  are.  Isn't  it  jolly  to  have 
^your  loving  friends'  tucked  around  in  spirit 
in  every  nook  and  corner  of  the  house,  with- 
out the  nuisance  of  having  the  good  people 
here  in  the  body  to  disturb  our  privacy?" 

^*I  see,"  he  meditated,  then  went  on  un- 
gratefully :  ' '  After  all,  I  think  I  'm  more  taken 
with  the  privacy  than  with  the  spiritual  pres- 
ences, though  they  can  hardly  be  considered 
skeletons  at  the  feast." 

'^I  should  think  not,"  exclaimed  Madeline 
indignantly.  '^I  love  them  each  and  all — 
well,  with  a  few  exceptions,  Ellery.  You 
needn't  grin  sarcastically.  Now  there's  the 
piano — such  a  piano  as  I  have  always 
dreamed  of  but  never  hoped  to  own.  If  I 
called  it  a  Steinway  Grand,  I  should  know 
that  it  was  an  excellent  instrument ;  but  when 
I  call  it  ^Vera,'  it  warms  and  delights  my 
heart  a  thousand  times." 


434 


JEWEL  WEED 


EUery  rose  and  bowed  ceremoniously  to 
the  piano. 

^^Vera,  will  you  and  Mrs.  Norris  favor  me 
with  Schubert's  Serenade,  while  I  sit  on  Mrs. 
Percival?"  he  asked.  '^1  am  ragingly  hun- 
gry, but  perhaps  the  Serenade  will  keep  me 
harmless  and  quiet  for  a  little." 

He  sat  and  listened  and  looked  into  the 
warm  deep  heart  of  the  friendly  fire.  Dreams 
and  hopes  came  back  to  him,  as  things  once 
seen  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  now  face  to 
face.  Without  turning,  he  was  conscious  of 
Madeline,  across  the  room,  filling  life  with 
music. 

When  a  small  maid,  as  new  as  the  books, 
appeared  to  announce  dinner,  he  looked  up 
startled. 

'^ Shall  we  go?"  asked  Madeline,  rising. 

^'To  our  own  private  particular  family 
communion-table,"  he  answered,  drawing  her 
arm  through  his. 


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